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180  8516 


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HONORE  DE  BALZAC 


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3  1822  01180  boio 


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LOVE  IN  A  MASK 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

or  IMPRUDENCE  m  m  j& 
js  M  jff   and  HAPPINESS 


A  Hitherto  Unpublished  Novel 

by 
HONORE  DE  BALZAC 


Translated  by 
ALICE  M.  IVIMY 


RAND  McNALLY  &  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  ion. 
By  AucE  M.  Ivnrr 


A  NOTE 

Balzac,  in  gratitude  to  the  Duchesse  de  Dino 
for  her  friendship  and  unfailing  kindness  to 
him,  one  day  presented  her  with  the  story  of 
"L'Amour  Masque"  (Love  in  a  Mask)  in  his 
own  handwriting.  The  duchess  was  one  of 
the  few  French  aristocrats  who  in  Balzac's 
time  welcomed  untitled  authors  to  their  salons, 
and  her  library  boasted  many  such  offerings 
from  the  literar}'  men  of  her  day.  She  placed 
Balzac's  unpublished  book  on  her  shelves  by 
the  side  of  similarly  unpublished  poems  by 
Alfred  de  Musset,  and  stories  by  Eugene  Sue 
and  others.  The  Balzac  manuscript  was  in- 
cased in  a  finely  tooled  binding  of  great  rich- 
ness and  beaut}-,  bearing  the  ex  libris  of  the 
ducal  family. 

For  more  than  half  a  centur\^  the  manu- 
script remained  where  the  duchess  had  placed 
it.  Then  her  son.  ^I.  Maurice  de  Talleyrand- 
Perigord.  the  present  Due  de  Dino.  made  it  a 
present  to  his  friend,  the  learned  Lucien  Au- 
banel.  By  him  it  was  given  to  M.  Gillequin. 
with  the  suggestion  that  it  be  published,  and  it 
accordingly   appeared   in   print   for   the   first 

7 


8  A  NOTE 

time  in  March,  191 1.  The  Due  de  Dino,  in 
a  letter  written  to  M.  Gillequin  on  this  occa- 
sion, guaranteed  the  history  of  the  volume 
which  for  so  long  had  been  one  of  the  treas- 
ured possessions  of  his  family. 

The  Publishers. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Chapter         I ^^ 

Chapter       II 27 

Chapter     III 35 

Chapter     IV 44 

Chapter       V 55 

Chapter      VI 65 

Chapter    VII 7^ 

Chapter  VIII 88 

Chapter      IX 99 

Chapter       X "o 

Chapter     XI 121 

Chapter    XII 132 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

OR 
IMPRUDENCE  AND  HAPPINESS 


MIDNIGHT  was  striking,  and  all 
Paris  was  astir ;  the  streets  were 
filled  with  people  bent  on  merry- 
making; it  was  the  eve  of  Mardi  Gras 
(Shrove  Tuesday). 

Leon  de  Preval,  a  young  cavalry  officer, 
had  just  made  his  way  into  the  Opera  Ball. 
There,  for  over  an  hour,  he  wandered 
aimlessly  amid  the  throng  that  seethed 
forward  and  backward,  finding  no  one  he 
knew,  and  quite  failing  to  grasp  the  mean- 
ing of  the  stupid  greetings  flung  at  him 


11 


12  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

from  time  to  time  by  the  women  he 
passed.  Finally,  choked  with  dust,  over- 
come with  heat,  dizzy  with  the  ceaseless 
buzz  of  all  these  black-robed  specters,  he 
asked  himself  impatiently  whether  this 
were  indeed  pleasure,  and  turned  to  find 
the  door. 

At  that  moment  two  masked  women 
came  down  the  steps  into  the  ballroom. 
Both  were  strikingly  graceful,  and  both 
were  strikingly  well  dressed.  They  were 
accompanied  by  a  genial  looking  man 
without  a  mask.  A  little  murmur  of 
admiration  greeted  them,  and  a  band  of 
giddy  youths  fell  in  behind  them,  hurling 
flippant  compliments  and  extravagant 
gallantries  at  the  two  masks. 

Leon  followed  with  the  rest.  At  every 
step  the  curiosity  of  the  crowd  added  to  the 
numbers  of  the  little  procession;  soon,  it 
encountered   a   group    of    masqueraders, 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  13 

themselves  the  center  of  a  cortege,  who, 
coming  from  the  opposite  direction,  threw 
such  confusion  into  the  ranks  that  one  of 
the  ladies,  the  younger  looking  of  the 
two,  was  separated  from  her  friends. 
Glancing  anxiously  around  her  in  search 
of  a  protector,  her  eyes  fell  on  Leon,  who 
was  following  her  movements  with  a 
good  deal  of  interest,  and,  hastily  seizing 
his  arm,  "Oh,  I  implore  you,"  she  said 
nervously,  using  the  familiar  ihou,  "get  us 
out  of  this  and  help  me  find  my  friends." 

"I  am  at  your  service,  lovely  Mask, 
Don't  be  afraid;  trust  yourself  to  me, 
and  come  with  me." 

And,  with  the  lady  clinging  to  one  arm, 
with  the  other  he  cleared  a  way  for  her 
through  the  press,  bringing  her  safely  out 
at  last  to  the  clock  room;  there  he  seated 
her  on  a  bench,  and  volunteered  to  go  to 
find  her  some  refreshments. 


14  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

"No,  stay  with  me,"  she  said;  "I  don't 
want  anything.  I  am  really  ashamed  to 
have  given  way  to  such  foolish  terror." 

"Ah,  but  I  am  ready  to  bless  the  cause; 
without  it,  I  should  not  have  known  the 
happiness  of  being  chosen  by  you  to  pro- 
tect you." 

"I  am  willing  to  admit  that  you  have 
rendered  me  a  great  service,  and  I  am 
grateful.  I  will  even  implore  you  to 
continue  to  extend  your  protection  until 
we  can  find  my  friends." 

"What  I  You  want  to  leave  me  already? 
Ah,  if  only  from  gratitude,  grant  me  a 
few  minutes." 

"Well,  then,  as  a  reward,  I  will  stay  a 
few  minutes  with  you." 

They  sat  down  side  by  side,  and  the 
time  sped  swiftly  while  they  chatted  gaily, 
lightly  together. 

At  last  the  charming  Mask  bethought 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  15 

herself  once  more  of  her  missing  party. 

"But  who  are  these  friends  of  yours?' 
said  Leon.  "Is  it  your  mother,  or  sister*? 
And,  perhaps,  a  husband^" 

"A  husband^    No,  indeed,  thank  God  I^' 

"You  are  not  married*?" 

"No,  not  now." 

"What,  already  a  widow  ^  How  sorry 
I  am  for  you  I" 

"Pray,  why  should  you  suppose  that  I 
am  to  be  pitied?  Are  all  husbands  so 
kind?  Are  all  men  so  tender?  Is  there, 
on  the  contrary,  one  who  deserves  to  be 
regretted?" 

"Oh,  what  an  anathema!  He  is  a 
happy  fellow  who  succeeds  in  inspiring 
you  with  juster,  milder  feelings  I" 

"Toward  men?     Heaven  forbid!" 

"Then  you  are  determined  to  drive  to 
despair  all  the  troop  of  admirers  who,  no 
doubt—" 


i6  LOVE  IN  A  MASK. 

"I  haven't  one;  I  have  just  arrived 
from  the  other  side  of  the  world,  and 
know  nobody  here." 

"Nobody,  really*?  Then,  fair  Mask,  I 
put  myself  down  as  your  first,  and  you 
will  see  that  I  shall  be  ever  the  most 
devoted,  the  most  constant — " 

"Constant  I  Bon  Dieu!  If  it  is  in  that 
strain  you  are  going  to  talk,  I  shall  leave 
you  forthwith." 

"What,  does  constancy — " 

"Constancy  is  but  a  chain  that  we  pre- 
tend to  wear  in  order  to  impose  its  weight 
on  another.  Now  that  I  am  free,  perfectly 
free,  I  intend  to  remain  so;  no  man  living 
could  induce  me  to  forswear  myself." 

"There  is  no  more  freedom  for  me,  I 
feel  that,  but  I  cannot  regret  it.  The  chain 
shall,  however,  be  for  me  only;  you  can- 
not prevent  my  loving  you,  or  hoping — " 

"Ah  no,  no,   no,  monsieur;  I  do  not 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  17 

want  love;  I  do  not  want  promises;  and 
least  of  all  do  I  want  any  one  to  hope  for 
anything  from  me." 

"But,  cruel  Mask,  incomprehensible 
Mask,  what  then  do  you  want?  What 
must  one  do  to  obtain  at  least  your  pity?" 

"One  must  neither  rave  nor  deceive; 
neither  exaggerate  a  feeling  of  which  he 
is  barely  conscious,  nor  fancy  it  possible 
to  induce  a  sensible  woman  to  change  her 
plans  for  a  few  romantic  words,  or 
hypocritical  attentions;  one  must  be 
humble,  discreet,  patient.  I  must  have 
time  to  make  up  my  mind,  to  find  out 
exactly  what  I  want,  and  then,  perhaps — " 

"Then,  perhaps,  what?  Charming 
Mask,  finish  the  sentence,  let  me  know 
my  fate.  I  will  be  obedient;  silence,  sub- 
mission, patience,  I  promise  everything." 

As  he  spoke  Leon's  face  glowed  with 
love  and  hope,  and  he  gazed  eagerly  into 


i8  LOVE  IN  A   MASK 

the  large,  black  eyes,  which,  soft  and 
sparkling,  appeared  to  be  studying  him 
with  calm  and  close  scrutiny. 

Entirely  disregarding  his  impassioned 
tones,  she  went  on  with  a  thoughtful  air: 

"This  gold  braid  must  betoken  a  grade. 
You  are  in  the  service,  no  doubt?" 

Confounded  by  her  self-possession, 
Leon  could  only  reply  by  a  gesture  of 
assent. 

"In  what  regiment'?" 

"I  am  captain  in  the  Sixth  Horse,"  he 
replied,  a  little  hurt. 

"You  are  on  furlough,  perhaps*?  Does 
your  family  live  in  this  city?" 

"No;  my  people  belong  to  a  distant 
part  of  the  country.  They  are  far  from 
rich,  but  they  are  honorable  and  highly 
respected.  I  only  came  up  with  my  regi- 
ment, and,  like  you,  lovely  Mask,  have 
been  but  a  few  days  in  the  capital;  like 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  19 

you,  too,  I  know  no  one  here;  like  you,  I 
am  free,  with  no  attachments  and  no  ties. 
Fate  seems  to  have  brought  me  here  to 
lose  at  one  blow  my  heart,  my  liberty, 
and  my  peace  of  mind." 

"And  find  in  return,  of  course,  nothing 
but  a  hard-hearted,  ungrateful  woman! 
These  are  the  conventional  things  that  we 
all  say.  Now,  I  am  going  to  do  justice 
to  Chance,  that  is  at  times  kind  to  us,  and 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  has  been 
so  this  time  in  bringing  us  two  together. 
It  may  be  that  I  shall  have  it  to  thank 
for  the  one  blessing  that  was  lacking  in 
my  life." 

"Adorable  and  mysterious  lady,  if  only 
I  could  fall  at  your  feet,  and  there  swear 
that  henceforth  Leon  de  Prcval,  grateful 
and  humble,  will  do  all  in  his  power  to 
merit  so  sweet  an  avowal  I" 

"An   avowal!"   she   said.      "You   call 


20  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

that  an  avowal  *?  Did  one  ever  see  any- 
thing to  equal  the  presumption  of  these 
men?' 

"But  how  can  one  help  believing  a 
little  in  what  one  so  fondly  hopes ^  May  I 
not  know  who  is  the  fascinating  creature 
that  takes  a  pleasure  in  teasing  me"?  May 
I  not  raise  the  mask  that  hides  the 
features — " 

"Which  perhaps  are  not  so  very  plain!" 

"If  only  I  might  see  them  for  a  mo- 
ment, if  I  might  but  read  there  I" 

"Can't  you  read  all  you  need  to  know 
in  my  eyes?" 

"They  are  bewitching,  but  suppose  a 
sweet  smile  went  with  them*?" 

She  rose  from  her  seat,  and  in  a  colder, 
more  serious  manner  she  said: 

"No,  you  will  never  see  me,  never 
know  me,  and  never  will  you  learn  any- 
thing about  me." 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  21 

Leon  stood  as  though  petrified. 

"Did  one  ever  hear  of  such  inconceiv- 
able caprice?  It  is  useless,  madame,  for 
me  to  trouble  you  any  longer.  I  see  you 
are  anxious  to  rejoin  your  friends.  We 
must  look  for  them." 

She  interrupted  him,  not  noticing  his 
anger. 

"Leon  de  Preval,  that 's  your  name, 
is  n't  it,"  she  said  dreamily,  "captain  of 
the  Sixth  Horse?  Do  you  expect  to  stay 
long  in  the  city?" 

"What  can  that  matter  to  you,  cruel 
one,  since  you  do  not  mean  to  see  me  ever 
again?" 

"But  what  makes  you  think  I  don't 
mean  to  see  you  again?  How  little  it 
takes  to  throw  these  wiseacres  off  their 
balance !  I  am,  on  the  contrary,  so  deter- 
mined to  see  you  again  that — " 

"Mon  Dieu,  my  dear,   what  ever  has 


22  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

become  of  you?"  cried  a  woman's  voice 
behind  them.  "We  have  been  hunting 
for  you  these  two  hours  past." 

It  was  the  friend  and  escort  of  the 
pretty  Mask.  Thus  suddenly  brought 
together  again,  each  in  turn  ran  quickly 
over  the  incidents  of  the  night. 

"I  am  worn  out  with  fatigue,  and  bored 
to  death,"  said  the  lady  who  had  just 
arrived  upon  the  scene.  "For  pity's  sake, 
let  us  go  home." 

"With  all  my  heart.  There  is  nothing 
to  keep  me  here  any  longer." 

"What,  so  soon*?"  exclaimed  Leon. 
"At  least,  you  will  not  forbid  me  to 
accompany  you  to  your  carriage?" 

This  favor  was  granted,  and  the  pair 
followed  the  others  out  of  the  hall. 

"Be  merciful,"  said  Leon,  "and  finish 
the  charming  sentence  you  had  begun 
when  we  were  so  annoyingly  interrupted. 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  23 

We  were  talking  of  meeting  again.  But 
when*?  Where?  And  how*?  Think  that 
in  a  minute  more  I  shall  have  lost  every- 
thing but  the  remembrance  of  you.  Will 
you  not  leave  me  a  little  hope*?" 

"Ah,  then  he  has  got  over  his  fit  of 
temper?" 

"Do  not  play  with  me  now.  I  am 
about  to  lose  you.  How  shall  I  be  able 
to—" 

"Well,  there  is  just  a  possibility  that  I 
may  come  to  the  Mi-Careme  ball  here." 

"Three  weeks  to  wait  I  Ye  gods,  three 
centuries !" 

"Yes,  three  weeks,  perhaps,  and  per- 
haps never." 

"I  shall  be  dead  by  that  time,  dead 
with  impatience  and  worry." 

"That  will  entirely  upset  my  plans." 

"Your  plans?" 

But   they   had   reached   the   door.      A 


24  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

carriage  had  just  drawn  up,  but  in  the 
darkness  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish 
either  its  color  or  its  coat  of  arms.  A 
black  servant  was  holding  the  door  open. 

"May  I  not  at  least  cherish  the  hope 
that  you  will  be  sorry  for  my  sufferings^" 

"Indeed,  I  fancy  you  are  going  to 
occupy  my  mind  considerably." 

As  she  finished  speaking,  she  sprang 
lightly  into  the  carriage,  and  the  horses 
dashed  rapidly  off. 

Leon  stood  and  gazed  after  that  coach 
which  was  carrying  away  from  him  his 
new  conquest,  and,  caring  no  more  for  the 
ball,  he  made  his  way  homeward,  his 
brain  in  confusion,  his  heart  a  little 
troubled;  his  mind  ran  upon  his  adven- 
ture, and  he  reproached  himself  bitterly 
for  not  having  found  some  means  of 
carrying  it  a  little  farther. 

"Who  can  she  be,"  he  said  to  himself, 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  25 

"so  attractive  and  so  odd?  She  cannot 
be  a  demi-mondaine^  with  that  noble 
bearing,  at  once  modest  and  proud,  and 
with  such  unmistakable  ease  of  manner. 
What  can  she  want"?  And  why  should 
she  alternately  encourage  and  repel  me? 
She  talked  of  her  plans,  and  wanted  to 
know  all  sorts  of  details  about  me;  our 
meeting  might  prove  a  happy  thing  for 
her — yet  I  am  never  to  see  her  again,  and 
must  never  know  who  she  is —  Was  she 
only  playing  with  me?  If  I  thought  that, 
what  a  revenge  I  would  take  I  But  pray, 
how  and  on  whom?  She  may  not  come  to 
the  next  ball ;  I  may  have  lost  all  trace  of 
her  forever.  I  should  be  sorry,  for  I  am 
convinced  that  she  is  charming.  What 
a  soft  sensuousness  there  is  in  her  pretty, 
flexible  figure  I  What  beautiful  eyes  she 
has,  and  what  an  expressive  voice!  And 
such   a  graceful,   witty  way  of  talking! 


26  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

These  three  weeks  are  going  to  be  endless. 
I  had  better  spend  them  in  looking  for 
and  finding  her.  It  might  be  as  well  to 
get  some  sleep  in  the  first  place  I" 

But  there  was  no  sleep  for  Leon  that 
night.  At  an  early  hour  he  rose  and 
began  at  once  his  search. 


II 

THE  whole  of  the  first  week  was 
spent  in  searching  the  streets, 
shops,  theaters,  and  pastry- 
cooks' ;  in  following  up  every  woman  who 
seemed  to  bear  the  faintest  resemblance 
to  the  stranger;  committing  a  thousand 
blunders,  and  many  impertinences,  with 
no  other  result  than  to  prove  to  himself 
the  utter  uselessness  of  his  attempt.  The 
second  week  found  him  thoroughly  dis- 
heartened, and  in  the  course  of  the  third 
he  began  to  wonder  how  much  longer  he 
was  going  to  act  as  a  puppet  in  the  hands 
of  a  coquette  who  was  perhaps  only 
concealing  herself  from  his  eyes  in  order 
to   enjoy   the   sight   of  his   discomfiture. 

27 


28  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Then  one  day  a  missive  was  left  at  his 
door  containing  these  words : 

"M.  de  Preval  will  of  course  remember 
that  he  is  expected  on  Thursday  at  the 
Opera  Ball  at  one  a.m.,  under  the  clock." 

As  he  read,  his  hopes  were  fired  anew. 
On  the  day  appointed,  midnight  had 
scarcely  struck  when  Leon  took  up  his 
position  beneath  the  clock,  consumed  with 
amorous  impatience  and  keen  curiosity. 

A  long  hour  had  slipped  away  when,  at 
length,  the  white  domino  flitted  by.  She 
bowed  slightly,  and,  slackening  her  pace 
to  allow  her  companions  to  pass  on  before 
her,  she  accepted  the  arm  that  Leon  had 
sprung  up  to  offer  her.  Delighted  to  meet 
her  again,  beside  himself  with  hope  and 
happiness,  he  gently  pressed  her  round 
arm  to  his  side,  and  described  in  eloquent 
terms  all   the  sufferings  of  the  last  few 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  29 

days,  his  vain  search,  his  fears,  his  impa- 
tience. Quietly  she  listened,  then  suddenly 
interrupted  him. 

"Well,  I  fared  better  than  you,"  she 
said,  "for  I  found  out  at  once  all  I  wanted 
to  know  about  you." 

"About  me?' 

"Yes,  indeed;  I  found  all  you  had  told 
me  was  strictly  true,  but  I  learned  in  addi- 
tion that  you  are  popular  with  your  com- 
rades, and  that  your  superior  officers  think 
highly  of  you.  They  say,  moreover,  that 
you  are  capable  of  acting  honestly  by 
women,  and  might  even  be  trusted  to  keep 
any  promise  extorted  from  you." 

"That  would  be  merely  my  duty;  do 
please  let  us  talk  about  my  happiness. 
Have  you  really  been  thinking  about  me? 
Is  it  possible  you  were  sufficiently  inter- 
ested in  me  to  hope  I  might  be  worthy 
your  regard,  and  to  try  to  find  out — " 


30  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

"But  I  had  to,  if  I  meant  to  carry  out 
my  plans!" 

"Ah,  those  plans  of  yours  I  I  hope  I 
am  now  going  to  hear  what  they  are. 
Kind  Mask,  go  on ;  do,  I  beseech  you,  trust 
the  fortunate  mortal  whose  heart  already 
beats  for  you  alone,  and  who  is  only  wait- 
ing a  word  from  you  to  give  himself  to  you 
forever." 

"I  should  be  very  sorry  I"  she  ejaculated 
hastily. 

For  a  few  moments  Leon  was  silenced. 

"Oh,"  he  said  at  last,  "do  not  play  this 
cruel  game  with  me  any  longer.  Why 
tease  me  with  alternate  kindness  and  cold- 
ness? This  is  the  last  of  these  balls,  but 
do  not  think  to  escape  me  again.  I  shall 
dog  your  footsteps  and  follow  you  until 
you  promise  to  meet  mc  again,  and  give 
me  an  opportunity  to  lay  my  heart  and  my 
hopes  at  your  feet,  and  hear  from  you 
what  these  plans  can  be." 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  31 

"Oh,  no,  no;  I  must  first  be  quite  sure 
of  your  reasonableness  and  prudence. 
There  are  certain  conditions  I  shall  have 
to  impose,  and  your  word  of  honor,  duly 
signed  and  sealed,  must  be  my  guarantee 
of  their  fulfilment." 

"My  word  of  honor!  My  signature!" 
said  Leon,  considerably  astonished  at 
her  cold-blooded  precautions  and  also  at 
the  solemnity  she  seemed  to  attach  to  a 
treaty  made  at  the  Opera  Ball. 

He  looked  down  at  his  companion.  She 
was  clearly  embarrassed  and  meditative; 
her  bosom  heaved  with  obvious  agitation; 
and  he  almost  fancied  he  could  detect  a 
blush  beneath  her  mask.  She  on  her  side 
was  abstractedly  watching  him,  and 
seemed  perplexed  and  doubtful. 

Convinced  that  the  moment  had  come 
when  with  a  little  pressure  she  would  give 
way,  Leon  went  on  eagerly: 

"Charming  but  inexplicable  creature! 


32  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Well,  then,  I  consent  to  whatever  you  ask, 
and  I  will  renew  the  vow  I  made  at  the 
last  ball  to  be  obedient,  docile,  and  dis- 
creet. I  accept  your  conditions  before- 
hand, if  you  in  return  will  leave  me  the 
joy  of  hoping  to  meet  you  again  and  hold- 
ing finally  in  my  arms  her — " 

"It  must  be  so,"  she  murmured  absently, 
apparently  replying  rather  to  some  thought 
in  her  own  mind  than  to  what  he  was 
saying. 

But  Leon  noticed  only  her  words,  and 
they  completely  turned  his  head. 

"Oh,  how  glad  I  am !"  he  cried.  "Let  us 
go  away,  dear,  unknown  Lady.  Perfect 
my  happiness  by  coming  away  with  me 
out  of  this  tiresome  crowd.  Let  us  go 
where  I  can  tear  off  this  odious  mask  and 
take  your  commands.  Then  in  greater 
freedom  than  is  possible  here,  let  me  pay 
love's  debt." 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  her  gently  for- 


-LOVE  IN  A  MASK  33 

ward;  but  suddenly  she  paused,  withdrew 
her  arm,  and  regaining  the  haughty  car- 
riage that  seemed  natural  to  her,  she  said 
in  a  calm,  cold  voice: 

"You  are  strangely  mistaken,  M.  de 
Preval.  Your  rash  transports  and  vain 
declarations  offend  and  hurt  me.  Believe 
me,  I  am  not  what  you  dare  to  think,  and 
I  am  entitled  to  more  consideration, 
greater  respect,  and  more  prudence  from 
you.  I  am  going  to  overlook  this  offense, 
however,  because  I  admit  that  my  own  odd 
behavior  might  well  have  misled  you; 
but  you  must  do  all  I  tell  you.  To-morrow 
you  shall  hear  from  me  and  I  will  then 
let  you  know  exactly  what  conditions  I 
mean  to  make.  Till  then,  be  patient  and 
resign  yourself." 

As  she  spoke,  she  moved  away  into  the 
crowd,  intending  to  give  him  the  slip,  but 
he  dashed  after  her  in  pursuit. 

"No,"  he  cried,  "I  am  not  going  to  leave 


34  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

you.  You  shall  not  run  away  like  this. 
Cruel  creature,  you  touch  my  heart,  set 
my  imagination  on  fire,  and  then  forsake 


me." 


"Take  me  to  my  carriage,"  she  said,  and 
in  her  voice  there  rang  a  note  of  command. 

He  grasped  the  hand  she  offered,  and 
again  poured  forth  his  lamentations  and 
prayers,  but  all  to  no  effect. 

The  faithful  negro  was  standing  at 
the  door.  The  stranger  quickly  entered 
her  carriage,  saying  to  Leon,  "Good-bye, 
till  to-morrow.  You  may  rely  on  my 
promise." 

"At  least,  permit  me  to  see  you  home," 
he  said,  his  foot  on  the  step. 

"Close  the  door,  and  drive  home,"  she 
said  energetically. 

Her  order  was  instantly  obeyed,  and 
once  again  Leon  saw  his  hopes  vanish  with 
her  who  had  inspired  them. 


Ill 

THE  impatience  with  which  Leon 
waited  for  the  morrow  may  be 
more  easily  imagined  than  de- 
scribed. How  often  did  he  run  up  to  his 
rooms  to  see  if  the  letter  had  yet  arrived  I 
How  delighted  he  was  when  at  last  it  was 
handed  to  him  I  But  what  was  his  aston- 
ishment to  read  these  words: 

"Yesterday  M.  de  Preval  appeared 
keenly  to  desire  to  see  again  the  lady  in 
the  white  domino  whom  he  met  at  the 
Opera  Ball.  To  obtain  this  favor  he  de- 
clared himself  ready  to  do  anything  she 
asked  of  him. 

"Here  are  the  conditions  on  which  he 
may  have  what  he  so  persistently  de- 
manded : 

35 


36  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

"\.  M.  de  Preval  must  be  in  his  rooms 
at  midnight  to-morrow ;  a  trustworthy  man 
whom  he  has  already  seen  once  will  call 
for  him  with  a  hired  carriage  which  will 
convey  him  to  his  destination,  only  M.  de 
Preval  must  allow  his  eyes  to  be  blind- 
folded. 

"2.  He  must  refrain  from  questioning 
his  guide,  and  must  not  attempt  to  bribe 
him  (this  would  be  quite  useless),  but 
he  must  quietly  follow  instructions. 

"3.  He  must  promise  to  make  no  noise, 
and  no  scandal;  he  must  not  make  a  fuss 
about  the  darkness,  and  must  not  attempt 
to  induce  the  person  who  will  be  waiting 
for  him  to  break  the  silence  she  has  de- 
termined to  keep. 

"4.  Finally,  when  his  guide  returns  to 
fetch  him,  he  must  follow  him  out  to  the 
carriage  and  thence  homeward,  with  the 
same  precautions,  and  afterward,  without 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  v 

making  vain  attempts  to  discover  what  is 
to  be  done  with  him,  he  must  patiently 
await  the  enlightenment  that  is  faithfully 
promised  to  him. 

"5.  If  M.  de  Preval  accepts  these  con- 
ditions he  can  write  on  the  foot  of  this 
sheet  that  he  will  keep  them,  add  his  sig- 
nature, and  leave  it  in  an  envelope  at  his 
door  to  wait  till  called  for." 

When  he  had  read  through  this  extraor- 
dinary document  Leon,  astonished  be- 
yond measure,  was  torn  by  a  thousand 
conflicting  feelings. 

How  was  he  to  reconcile  the  elaborate 
precautions  of  this  strange  compact  with 
the  enlightenment  that  was  promised*? 
How  could  he  make  this  appointment 
agree  with  the  air  of  lofty  distinction  and 
reserve  of  the  stranger? 

He  told  himself  over  and  over  again 


38  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

that  it  would  be  the  height  of  folly  and  im- 
prudence to  sign  such  a  treaty,  and  embark 
on  such  a  wild-goose  chase.  And  yet,  as 
the  graceful  image  of  the  pretty  Mask 
rose  before  his  mind's  eye,  and  their  ani- 
mated talk  at  the  ball  recurred  again  to 
his  memory,  the  contrast  between  her  pride 
and  her  weakness,  the  piquancy  of  the 
situation,  his  now  strongly  aroused  curios- 
ity, and  his  vanity  at  stake,  all  combined 
to  make  up  an  irresistible  temptation.  For 
a  moment  he  even  fancied  there  might  be 
a  spice  of  danger  in  trusting  himself  to 
some  unknown  man  to  be  led  to  an  un- 
known place,  his  hands  tied  by  his  prom- 
ise, and  his  person  exposed  defenseless  to 
all  risks.  But  this  prospect  added  savor 
to  the  rest. 

"No,  indeed,"  he  cried,  "I  shall  not 
draw  back  now;  the  precious  reward  of- 
fered is  well  worth  a  little  folly." 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  39 

And,  seizing  a  pen,  this  wise  Cato  wrote 
like  any  harebrained  youth: 

"I  accept  all  the  conditions  imposed, 
and  undertake  on  my  word  of  honor  to  ful- 
fil them  scrupulously.  I  only  ask  permis- 
sion to  wear  my  sword. 

"Leon  de  Preval." 

In  the  course  of  the  evening  some  one 
called  for  his  answer,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  he  received  another  note,  contain- 
ing these  few  words: 

"He  may  wear  his  sword,  but  M.  de 
Preval  has  nothing  to  fear  for  either  his 
honor  or  his  safety." 

Never  was  day  so  long. 

For  two  hours  Leon,  ready  dressed,  had 
been  walking  up  and  down  his  room  when 
the  sound  of  a  carriage  drawing  up  to  the 
door  brought  his  heart  into  his  mouth. 


40  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Seizing  his  sword,  he  ran  rapidly  down- 
stairs, and  found  the  black  servant  stand- 
ing there.  The  man  motioned  him  to  get 
into  the  carriage,  and  then,  in  his  bad 
French,  respectfully  asked  permission  to 
bandage  his  eyes. 

Leon  made  no  resistance. 

After  driving  a  short  time  the  negro 
ordered  the  coachman  to  stop,  and  helped 
Leon  to  step  out  on  to  the  pavement.  To- 
gether they  walked  a  few  yards,  and  then 
entered  a  house  where  they  mounted  a 
short  staircase.  Leon  could  perceive  that 
he  was  being  led  through  some  large 
rooms  until  they  reached  one  that  was 
filled  with  sweet  scents.  At  this  moment 
his  bandage  was  removed,  and,  glancing 
eagerly  round,  he  found  himself  in  a  dark 
apartment,  at  the  end  of  which  was  an 
open  door  that  revealed  an  elegant  boudoir 
dimly  lighted  by  an  alabaster  lamp. 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  41 

The  negro  standing  beside  him  with  a 
dark  lantern  in  his  hand  pointed  to  the 
boudoir  and  in  a  low  tone  uttered  the 
words:  "Honor  and  silence."  He  then 
disappeared. 

Leon  laid  aside  his  sword,  and  entered 
swiftly.  A  woman,  his  unknown  friend, 
dressed  in  a  simple  neglige,  her  head 
wrapped  in  a  veil,  was  half  reclining  on  a 
sofa. 

Leon  threw  himself  at  her  feet. 

"I  am  a  happy  man  I"  he  cried.  "But 
what'?  Are  you  still  hiding  your  face  from 
me?  For  pity's  sake,  make  no  more  mys- 
tery; throw  off  your  veil." 

As  he  spoke  he  lifted  his  impatient  hand. 
No  obstacle  was  interposed,  but  at  the 
same  instant  the  lamp  went  out. 

We  dare  not  throw  light  on  the  dark- 
ness that  Leon  respected.  We  will  not 
infringe  the  order  of  silence;  we  will  only 


42  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

say  that  his  highest  hopes  were  surpassed 
by  the  reality,  and  in  the  pleasure  of  that 
meeting  he  had  no  desire  to  break  his 
word. 

Time  passed  quickly,  and  the  night  was 
far  advanced  when  a  slight  sound  was 
heard  in  the  apartment;  a  secret  door  had 
been  opened,  the  stranger  disappeared,  and 
Leon  found  himself  alone.  The  negro 
stood  again  before  him,  and  respectfully 
requested  him  to  replace  the  bandage  over 
his  eyes  and  follow  him. 

*'No,"  he  replied,  both  pained  and 
vexed,  "I  will  not  go  until  I  have  seen  her 
— until  I  have  obtained — " 

A  woman's  voice  interrupted  him,  whis- 
pering close  beside  him,  "Honor  and 
silence." 

Leon  rushed  toward  the  voice  to  find 
only  a  wall ;  he  groped  along  it  and  came 
upon  a  small  door  fastened  on  the  other 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  43 

side,  through  whose  cracks  he  could  dis- 
tinguish a  light  that  receded  rapidly  and 
then  disappeared. 

"Cruel,"  he  said,  not  daring  to  speak 
aloud,  "stop  one  moment,  only  one 
word — " 

"Honor  and  silence,"  said  the  negro 
firmly. 

"Yes,"  Leon  replied  sadly.  "I  am  bound 
in  honor,  I  promised,  I  submit.  I  can  only 
hope  that  others  will  be  as  faithful  to  their 
word  as  I  am  to  mine." 

The  bandage  was  replaced,  and  Leon 
followed  his  guide  out  to  the  carriage. 
Soon  he  was  at  home  again,  where,  alone 
with  his  memories,  alternately  delicious 
and  sad,  happy  and  anxious,  he,  now 
madly  in  love,  wondered  if  indeed  the 
whole  thing  were  not  a  dream,  and  fell 
asleep  in  the  hope  of  prolonging  it. 


IV 

UT  who  shall  describe  his  anxiety 
and  distress  as  the  days  went  by, 
then  a  week,  a  second  and  a  third, 
with  still  no  news  from  the  stranger? 
Still  she  took  no  trouble  to  soothe  his 
impatience. 

His  mind  dwelt  painfully  on  the  inci- 
dent. 

"What !"  he  said,  "is  it  possible  that  my 
loyalty  and  honor  were  invoked  merely 
to  satisfy  the  passing  caprice  of  an  un- 
principled and  immoral  woman  *?  No,  no, 
I  am  unjust  to  her  and  ungrateful  too.  I 
could  feel  her  heart  beating  with  fear.  O 
my  beloved  lady,  why  hide  from  my  love*? 
Why  lift  me  to  a  pinnacle  of  bliss  only  to 
dash  me  to  earth   again  directly  after? 

44 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  45 

The  memory  of  the  moments  we  spent  to- 
gether entirely  absorbs  me;  is  it  possible 
they  have  no  power  over  you^" 

In  this  apostrophe  to  his  mysterious 
belle  Leon  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival 
of  a  letter  which  seemed  nicely  timed  to 
reply  to  it.  He  recognized  at  once  the 
handwriting  of  the  conditions,  and  opened 
the  envelope  with  a  hand  that  shook  with 
pleasure.    This  is  what  he  read: 

"How  many  illusions  I  am  destroying ! 
What  tender  hopes  will  now  be  blighted! 
What  prestige  dwindle  away!  You  think 
yourself  the  victor,  but  instead  you  are 
under  orders.  Your  vanity  must  have 
been  stirred  at  the  thought  of  the  irresist- 
ible influence  you  wielded  over  a  weak 
woman,  but  it  is  you  who  have  to  obey 
her  will.  You  are  of  course  waiting  im- 
patiently to  see  and  know  her,  to  establish 


46  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

your  empire  over  her  by  fresh  transports 
on  your  side  and  fresh  weaknesses  on  hers 
— and  that  moment  will  never  come.  All 
is  over  between  her  and  you. 

"Nevertheless,  the  loyalty  and  delicacy 
of  your  behavior  deserve  some  recognition 
from  me.  I  don't  think  I  can  better  prove 
my  gratitude  than  by  confiding  to  you 
those  plans  you  v/ere  so  curious  to  hear, 
and  explaining  the  conduct  which  must 
have  seemed  strange  at  least  in  your  eyes, 
if  not  imprudent,  though,  thanks  to  you,  I 
believe  I  shall  never  have  cause  to  regret 
it. 

"An  unequal  match  which  brought  me 
3nly  misery,  humiliation,  injustice,  and  vio- 
lence has  left  in  me  an  invincible  repug- 
nance for  a  tic  that  weighs  heavily  on  the 
weak,  upholds  the  strong,  and  sanctions 
injustice.  When  therefore  I  found  myself 
at  the  age  of  twenty-five  free,  wealthy, 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  47 

and  my  own  mistress,  I  vowed  to  re- 
main so  always,  but  I  very  soon  discovered 
that  I  was  purchasing  my  independence  at 
the  price  of  nature's  sweetest  solace.  When 
I  looked  around  me  I  found  not  a  creature 
who  needed  my  care  and  tenderness,  not 
one  to  love  me  and  tell  me  so.  I  was  con- 
tinually haunted  by  sorrow  for  my  child- 
less condition,  and  by  degrees  this  became 
a  real  grief.  I  was  born  beneath  a  fierce 
sky,  and  my  blood  is  hot,  my  passions 
strong.  What  more  can  I  say^  I  grad- 
ually came  to  form  the  singular  plan  by 
which  I  might  know  the  joys  of  maternity 
without  submitting  to  a  hated  yoke.  Still, 
do  not  think  me  a  strong-minded  woman, 
and  do  not  imagine  that  I  scorn  as  preju- 
dices those  laws  which  I  know  to  be  useful 
to  society.  No,  I  have  the  greatest  re- 
spect for  them,  and  if,  for  this  time  alone, 
I  have  dared  to  set  them  aside,  believe 


48  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

me,  it  is  for  this  once  only,  because  special 
circumstances  made  it  possible  for  me  to 
save  at  the  same  time  appearances  and 
reputation. 

"My  plan,  formed  in  the  first  instance 
in  fear  and  trembling,  soon  occupied 
all  my  waking  thought.  I  will  confess 
that  there  was  a  romantic  glamour  about 
it  that  lent  it  an  additional  charm  in  my 
eyes.  Soon  it  grew  to  be  a  passion.  You 
know  how  I  succeeded  in  putting  it  in  exe- 
cution, and  to  you  I  shall  owe  the  sole 
blessing  that  my  life  lacked.  At  first  I 
meant  to  leave  you  in  ignorance  of  the 
truth,  and  forget  you  entirely.  Now  I 
have  changed  my  mind  and  have  come  to 
think  that  I  owe  you  some  explanation. 
Moreover,  if  my  hopes  are  fulfilled,  I  may 
die  before  the  object  of  my  affection  is 
old  enough  to  take  care  of  itself.  It  will 
inherit  all  my  fortune,  but  I  think  I  ought 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  49 

not  to  deprive  it  of  its  natural  protector. 

"No  matter  then  where  duty  may  call 
you,  when  the  time  comes  you  will  receive 
from  me  a  split  ring  on  which  there  will  be 
engraved  the  date  of  a  birth;  the  setting 
will  inform  you  of  the  sex,  a  diamond  sig- 
nifying a  son,  an  emerald  a  daughter.  The 
second  half  of  this  ring  will  be  given  to 
the  child  in  the  event  of  my  death,  with 
all  the  clues  necessary  for  finding  you  out. 
When  the  second  half  is  placed  in  your 
hand  the  fact  of  its  matching  your  own 
will  prove  the  right  of  the  bearer  to  your 
protection,  and  my  personal  regard  for 
you  makes  me  very  sure  it  will  not  be 
asked  in  vain. 

"Adieu,  monsieur,  adieu,  Leon;  fare- 
well forever!  Take  no  steps  to  discover 
me;  they  would  be  vain,  since  in  a  few 
days  I  shall  be  far  away.  Forget  a  fan- 
tastic creature  whom  you  do  not  and  must 


50  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

not  know;  forget  the  dream  of  a  single 
night  that  cannot  return.  Be  happy; 
this  is  my  one  wish  for  you,  and  if  I  can 
learn  that  it  has  been  realized,  I  shall  be 
happy  too." 

"Happy  I"  cried  Leon,  flinging  the  let- 
ter down  angrily.  "I  am  to  be  happy 
when  she  coldly  informs  me  I  am  never 
to  see  her  again ;  when  her  insulting  confi- 
dences just  reveal  the  value  of  the  prize 
that  is  lost  to  me,  never  to  be  regained  I 
But  let  her  not  think  to  escape  me  alto- 
gether; she  is  mine;  she  herself  formed  the 
tie  between  us.  Could  she  have  done  it 
only  to  sever  it  immediately *?  Wherever 
she  goes  I  shall  follow  her,  and  every- 
where I  shall  insist  on  my  claims  being 
heard.    She  cannot  shirk  them." 

Then,  after  a  moment's  reflection,  he 
added :  "Alas !  I  am  forgetting  that  she  is 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  51 

going  away.  She  is  probably  returning  to 
her  own  land,  and  the  wide  seas  will  di- 
vide us.  Unhappy  man  that  I  am,  why 
did  I  ever  go  to  the  ball  I  Why  was  I 
such  a  fool  as  to  accept  her  artful  con- 
ditions?" 

The  suddenness  of  the  blow  thus  in- 
flicted on  his  fondest  hopes  took  such  effect 
on  Leon  that  for  several  days  he  was  ill. 
As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  go  out  again  he 
started  his  search  with  more  energy  than 
ever,  but,  being  himself  a  stranger  in  the 
city,  there  were  few  means  open  to  him, 
and  he  soon  found  himself  reduced  to  a 
state  of  passive  regret,  which  is  perhaps 
the  worst  of  all  evils.  During  this  period 
of  his  life  his  temper  took  on  a  tinge  of 
melancholy  which  never  entirely  deserted 
him. 

Brought  up  by  an  honorable  family  who 
had  instilled  good  principles  into  the  lad, 


52  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Leon  had  never  indulged  in  the  usual  li- 
cense of  barracks ;  his  professional  studies, 
and  a  succession  of  fatiguing  and  glorious 
campaigns,  had  left  him  little  leisure  to 
form  any  lasting  liaison.  Though  of  an  af- 
fectionate disposition,  he  had  never  loved, 
and  this,  the  first  serious  impression  made 
upon  him,  was  so  much  the  deeper  in  conse- 
quence. And  now  Chance  had  thrown  in 
his  way  an  attractive  woman,  rendered 
still  more  piquante  by  the  mystery  with 
which  she  had  surrounded  herself,  and  she 
had  vanished  like  a  shadow.  On  the  very 
eve,  perhaps,  of  becoming  a  father,  he  was 
yet  never  to  be  allowed  to  press  to  his 
heart  the  child  of  his  love;  united  by  the 
tenderest  and  strongest  of  ties  to  persons 
visible  only  to  his  imagination,  he  was 
doomed  never  to  know  them  in  the  flesh. 

Thoughts   such   as   these  left  him   no 
peace;  yet,  after  reading  her  letter  over 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  53 

and  over  again,  he  fancied  he  could  detect 
in  it  some  faint  promise  for  the  future. 

All  hope  of  finding  his  unknown  mis- 
tress was  not  yet  lost;  this  enigmatic  ring 
that  she  promised  him,  and  that  was  to  an- 
nounce the  most  passionately  longed-for 
of  events,  constituted  in  itself  a  kind  of 
correspondence.  Besides,  since  an  ar- 
rangement was  to  be  made  by  which  the 
child  should  at  any  time  be  able  to  find  its 
father,  it  was  evident  that  his  fate  and  ex- 
istence must  continue  to  interest  the 
mother,  and  the  thought  that  the  invisible 
stranger  would  be  watching  over  his  for- 
tunes took  hold  of  his  imagination  and  af- 
forded him  some  consolation. 

But  a  fresh  grief  awaited  him;  orders 
were  given  for  his  regiment  to  go  into 
garrison  in  a  small  town  of  the  north  of 
France,  and  Leon,  forced  to  accompany 
his  men,  was  plunged  anew  into  the  depths 


54  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

of  despair.  He  felt  that  in  leaving  Paris 
he  lost  all  chance  of  discovering  traces  of 
her  he  sought,  and  that,  once  buried  in 
the  distant  provinces,  he  might  easily  be 
forgotten;  even  the  message  he  was  await- 
ing with  such  impatience  would  perhaps 
never  reach  him  there.  Still  he  had  no 
alternative  but  to  leave,  and  residence  in 
the  little  town,  with  no  society  and  no  re- 
source but  solitary  country  walks,  did  not 
contribute  greatly  to  relieve  Leon's  mel- 
ancholy mood. 


WHILST  Leon,  brooding  in  dull 
exile  over  his  troubles,  was 
mentally  calculating  the  hours 
that  must  elapse  before  the  expected  mes- 
sage could  be  despatched,  his  unknown 
friend,  also  in  seclusion,  but  in  a  charm- 
ing estate  situated  on  the  road  from  Tours 
to  Bordeaux,  was  freely  indulging  in 
those  joyful  anticipations  that  her  au- 
dacity, coupled  with  her  warm,  eager 
blood,  had  warranted.  In  the  independ- 
ent position  in  which  she  now  found  her- 
self everything  was  new,  and  everything 
seemed  pleasant. 

Born  in  Martinique,  and  reared  amongst 
a  slave  population,  the  youthful  Elinor 
at  sixteen  had  never  known  any  restraint 
but  that  of  her  parents'  indulgent  rule; 


55 


56  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

she  had  never  felt  the  salutary  yoke  of  the 
hard  and  fast  laws  of  society.  But  at 
this  period  of  her  life  her  beauty,  which 
had  begun  to  make  some  stir  in  the  place, 
aroused  the  admiration  of  M.  de  Roselis, 
the  richest  settler  in  the  island.  He  came 
forward  to  ask  for  her  hand,  and  his  wealth 
so  dazzled  her  ambitious  relatives  that  it 
was  granted  immediately. 

He  was  a  man  of  some  forty  years,  with 
a  handsome  face  but  a  character  as  odious 
as  it  was  contemptible.  He  had  been  the 
overseer  of  the  property  he  now  owned, 
and  had  spent  his  life  there,  and  the  habit 
of  command  had  developed  in  him  all 
those  vices  which  invariably  spring  from 
isolation  and  unlimited  power.  Suspicious 
and  violent,  unprincipled  and  unscrupu- 
lous, his  vanity,  flattered  by  the  possession 
of  the  handsomest  girl  in  the  col- 
ony, soon  effaced  in  him  any  sentiment 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  57 

for  her  except  that  of  a  mean  jealousy, 
which  he  indulged  with  the  inflexibility  of 
his  imperious  temper. 

Elinor,  shut  up  amongst  her  negresses, 
over  whom  she  had  no  control — many  of 
them  being,  indeed,  her  own  rivals — had 
now  to  endure  the  vilest  treatment.  Her 
proud  and  sensitive  heart  was  filled 
with  a  deep-rooted  resentment,  and  she 
visited  on  all  men  the  hatred  and  contempt 
which  were  merited  by  the  only  one  whom 
she  had  opportunity  of  judging. 

Her  parents  died  of  grief  at  having  thus 
sacrificed  their  only  child,  and  shortly 
after  her  husband,  worn  out  by  a  manner 
of  life  whose  pleasures  he  had  thoroughly 
exhausted,  began  to  make  preparations  to 
remove  to  France.  He  had  already  ar- 
ranged for  the  purchase  of  an  estate  in 
that  country,  when  he  was  suddenly  over- 
taken by  death  in  the  midst  of  a  debauch. 


58  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Thus  the  beautiful  Elinor  de  Roselis 
found  herself  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  at 
once  the  richest  and  most  independent 
woman  in  the  colony,  but,  disgusted  with 
a  place  in  which  she  had  known  only  sor- 
row, she  resolved  to  put  into  execution 
her  husband's  plans,  and  settle  in  France. 
One  of  her  childhood  friends,  Mme.  de 
Gernance,  who  had  been  more  fortunate 
than  herself  in  marriage,  was  also  about 
to  remove  with  her  family  and  fortune  to 
France,  so  a  vessel  was  chartered  for  them, 
and  Mme.  de  Roselis,  having  once  more 
vowed  on  the  tomb  of  her  parents  to  give 
no  man  in  future  a  right  to  dispose  of  her 
person  and  fate,  went  on  board,  her  mind 
filled  with  a  thousand  schemes,  and  nurs- 
ing as  many  fond  hopes. 

In  the  first  years  of  her  unhappy  mar- 
ried life  Mme.  de  Roselis  had  suffered 
keenly  from  her  disappointment  at  having 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  59 

no  children;  later  she  found  consolation  in 
the  fear  lest  a  child  of  hers  should  inherit 
the  vices  that  caused  her  such  lasting  and 
acute  pain. 

In  the  first  flush  of  her  recovered 
liberty  this  regret  returned  with  fresh 
force ;  alone,  without  relatives,  without  af- 
fection, on  the  eve  of  landing  on  a  foreign 
shore  where  she  knew  no  one,  she  realized 
that  independence  is  not  the  only  requisite 
for  happiness,  and  that  we  all  need  some 
interest  in  life  to  attach  us  to  it.  The  com- 
pany of  her  friend's  children,  who  were 
constantly  with  them  during  the  voyage, 
riveted  her  thoughts  to  the  subject,  and  it 
was  their  kisses  and  the  games  she  played 
with  them  that  first  gave  her  the  idea  of 
the  strange  scheme  we  have  seen  her  carry 
out.  The  long  journey  afforded  her  plenty 
of  leisure  in  which  to  devise  a  way  to 
guard  against  the  serious  inconveniences 


6o  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

that  might  arise  from  such  a  proceeding; 
and  in  proportion  as  the  idea  took  shape  in 
her  mind  she  became  ever  more  enchanted 
with  it,  until  by  the  time  Bordeaux  was 
reached  she  was  completely  under  its  spell. 

Making  only  a  short  stay  in  that  city, 
she  quickly  followed  M.  and  Mme.  de 
Gernance  to  Paris,  where  they  intended  to 
spend  the  winter  together.  We  have  seen 
with  what  rashness  and  success  she  accom- 
plished her  object,  and  how  her  lucky  star 
threw  in  her  way  a  man  like  Leon  de  Pre- 
val,  whose  honesty  and  steadiness  of  char- 
acter saved  her  from  the  dangers  to  which 
she  was  bent  on  exposing  herself. 

Admitting  only  her  faithful  black  ser- 
vant into  her  confidence,  she  had  commis- 
sioned him  to  find  for  her  in  some  distant 
suburb  the  little  house  that  in  the  interval 
between  the  two  balls  she  arranged  to 
suit  her  purpose.     The  secret  spring  that 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  6i 

extinguished  the  lamp  and  the  secret  door 
by  which  she  escaped  were  the  fruit  of  the 
careful  forethought  that  she  lavished  on  a 
scheme  which  assuredly  could  be  justified 
by  none. 

As  she  was  staying  in  the  same  hotel  as 
her  traveling  companions,  she  was  obliged 
to  prepare  them  for  her  disappearance  by 
telling  them  she  intended  to  leave  for 
the  country  on  the  day  following  the 
Mi-Careme.  Accordingly,  on  the  day  ap- 
pointed, notwithstanding  her  friends'  en- 
treaties, she  duly  left,  attended  by  the 
negro,  but  she  went  only  as  far  as  the  little 
house.  The  rest  of  her  household  having 
started  a  few  hours  earlier,  all  passed  off 
as  she  had  planned. 

After  the  meeting  that  she  had  arranged 
with  such  care  she  remained  concealed  a 
short  time  in  the  villa.  It  was  from  thence 
she  had  written  to  him  the  letter  that  had 


62  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

caused  Leon  so  much  pain.  A  few  days 
later,  she  left  for  Touraine. 

Her  first  care  on  arriving  was  to  spread 
a  report  in  the  district  that  her  husband, 
already  ill  when  they  started,  had  died  on 
the  voyage;  this  was  confirmed  by  her 
mourning  dress.  Soon  she  allowed  it  to 
be  known  that  she  was  hoping  shortly  to 
possess  a  tardy  token  of  their  union.  After 
some  time  the  hope  became  an  obvious  cer- 
tainty, and  toward  the  end  of  the  autumn 
Mme.  de  Roselis  obtained  her  heart's  de- 
sire, and  gave  birth  to  a  daughter  who  was 
brought  up  by  her  side  in  the  chateau. 

With  what  transports  of  joy  she  pressed 
her  long-desired  child  to  her  bosom — the 
child  in  whom  all  the  happiness  of  her  life 
was  bound  up,  and  in  whom  all  her  ten- 
derest  feelings  would  be  centered  I 

"You  will  love  me  dearly,"  she  said, 
"you  will  thank  me  for  the  care  and  love  I 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  63 

shall  lavish  on  you.  I  shall  live  for  you 
onl}^  and  shall  never  have  to  fear  lest  de- 
sertion and  insult  may  be  the  reward  of 
my  devotion.  At  last  I  have  at  my  side  a 
creature  who  is  bound  to  me  by  the  sweet- 
est and  closest  of  ties,  whose  innocent  af- 
fection and  childish  joy  will,  I  hope, 
suffice  for  my  own  happiness." 

It  was  but  natural  that  the  memory  of 
him  to  whom  she  owed  her  new  happiness 
should  be  present  with  her  in  the  first  glow 
of  it.  She  thought  how  delighted  Leon 
would  be  if  he  could  see  his  child,  and  this 
brought  back  to  her  mind  the  promise  she 
had  made  to  let  him  know  the  date  of  its 
birth. 

The  negro  was  sent  to  Paris  to  order  the 
ring  that  had  been  described  to  Leon.  He 
was  told  to  find  out  at  the  War  Office  the 
whereabouts  of  his  regiment,  and  to  start 
immediately,  at  full  speed,  to  take  him  this 


64  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

last  message.  He  was  himself  to  place  it 
in  the  hands  of  M.  de  Preval,  and  to  de- 
part instantly,  without  giving  the  young 
officer  time  to  ask  a  single  question.  The 
black  carried  out  his  instructions  with  as 
much  accuracy  as  intelligence. 


VI 

ONE  morning,  Leon,  who  had  hailed 
with  some  excitement  the  open- 
ing of  the  month  of  November, 
returned  from  drill  in  low  spirits  and  full 
of  anxious  thought.  He  was  about  to  go 
at  once  to  his  quarters  when  he  heard  be- 
hind him  the  trot  of  a  horse,  and,  turning 
his  head,  recognized  the  negro.  He  ut- 
tered a  cry  of  surprise  and  delight  as  the 
black  rode  up  to  him  and,  without  dis- 
mounting, said: 

"Here  is  something  I  was  ordered  to 
bring  to  you,"  and  at  the  same  moment 
he  placed  in  his  hand  a  sealed  box. 

Then  he  set  spurs  to  his  horse  and  was 
out  of  sight  in  an  instant.  Leon,  dumb- 
founded, followed  him  with  his  eyes,  and 

65 


66  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

but  for  the  box  he  still  held  would  have 
been  tempted  to  set  the  sudden  event  down 
as  an  apparition  to  be  attributed  to  his 
own  nervous  condition. 

Hastily,  he  opened  the  case.  It  con- 
tained only  the  half  of  a  gold  ring,  split 
like  a  French  wedding  ring,  on  which  was 
engraved  "November  22,  18 — ."  It  was 
set  with  a  very  fine  emerald. 

"So  it  is  a  girl  I"  cried  Leon.  "I  am  a 
father — and  not  a  line,  not  a  word  for  me  I 
She  is  still  making  sport  of  me  I  This  ends 
everything,  probably,  and  I  shall  never 
hear  another  word  about  her.  Who  ever 
can  she  be,  this  unget-at-able  creature  who 
does  as  she  likes  with  me  and  seems  to  hold 
my  future  in  her  hand,  who  remains  in- 
visible, and  yet  can  find  me  out  in  this 
distant  spot,  and,  according  to  her  way- 
ward humor,  seeks  me  or  forsakes  me"? 
Wretched  ball  I    Fatal  meeting  I" 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  67 

He  turned  the  matter  over  in  his  dis- 
turbed mind  in  a  hundred  different  ways, 
but  never  came  to  any  satisfactory  con- 
clusion. 

A  long  year  passed  in  this  way.  Then, 
with  the  approach  of  the  following  spring, 
there  were  rumors  of  a  coming  war;  a 
Spanish  expedition  was  talked  of,  and  the 
officers,  looking  forward  to  promotion  and 
glory,  were  thankful  for  the  prospect  of 
escape  from  inaction. 

Leon  was  specially  impatient  for  the 
signal  to  enter  the  fray,  for  he  was  sick  of 
living  with  his  memories,  in  the  idleness 
that  fostered  them.  What  then  was  his 
surprise  to  receive  one  day  a  despatch  from 
the  War  Office,  informing  him  of  his  nomi- 
nation as  aide-de-camp  to  General  de  X. 
and  ordering  him  to  start  at  once  for 
Paris,  where  he  was  to  join  that  officer. 

To  Leon,  who  had  never  seen  his  chief, 


68  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

and  knew  no  one  about  his  person  who 
could  have  exerted  any  influence  in  his 
behalf,  this  promotion  was  inexplicable. 
For  some  time  past,  however,  he  had  been 
living  in  an  atmosphere  of  extraordinary 
events;  this  last  filled  him  with  mingled 
joy  and  hope.  Might  not  his  unknown 
mistress  have  had  a  hand  in  the  matter'? 
If  so,  surely  here  was  a  clue  to  her  name 
and  place  of  residence.  At  all  events,  he 
was  going  back  to  Paris,  and  however 
short  his  stay  in  the  capital,  some  lucky 
chance  might  help  him  in  his  search. 

Thus  he  found  himself  once  more  back 
in  the  city,  where  he  was  received  in  the 
kindest  way  by  his  general,  who  installed 
him  in  his  own  house  and  gave  him  a  place 
at  his  tabic. 

At  first  the  multiplicity  of  his  duties 
prevented  him  from  taking  any  of  those 
steps  which  he  had  already  proved  to  be 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  69 

more  than  useless,  but  after  a  little  while, 
having  won  the  regard  of  his  chief  and  hav- 
ing become  in  some  sort  a  favorite  with 
him,  he  ventured  to  ask  the  name  of  the 
person  to  whom  he  owed  this  post  of  honor. 
The  general  informed  him  that  the  recom- 
mendation of  M.  de  B.,  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  war  staff,  and  the  record  of  Leon's 
distinguished  conduct  in  the  last  cam- 
paign, had  led  him  to  ask  for  the  young 
man  as  his  aide-de-camp. 

"And  that  reminds  me,"  he  continued, 
"you  ought  to  go  and  thank  him.  I  shall 
be  going  there  one  evening  soon,  and  if  you 
like  I  will  take  you  with  me." 

Although  this  reply  was  a  disappoint- 
ment to  Leon,  he  gratefully  accepted  the 
offer,  and  a  few  days  later  the  general 
took  him  in  his  own  carriage  to  call  upon 
M.  de  B. 

They  found  a  number  of  people  already 


70  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

assembled  in  the  drawing  room  when  they 
arrived,  and  Mme.  de  B.  had  just  arranged 
some  card  tables  and  resumed  her  place 
near  the  fire,  where  she  was  chatting  with 
a  small  circle  of  friends,  consisting  of  some 
three  or  four  women  and  as  many  men. 
When  Leon  was  introduced  to  her  he 
endeavored  to  obtain  from  her  the  infor- 
mation he  was  so  eager  to  get,  but  in  vain. 
After  some  civilities  the  conversation  again 
became  general,  and  Mme.  de  B.  begged 
one  of  the  gentlemen  to  continue  the  story 
he  had  commenced.  Thus  Leon,  his  hopes 
frustrated,  found  himself  obliged  to  listen 
with  the  rest. 

A  string  of  tales,  some  amusing,  others 
strange,  were  told  by  one  and  another  of 
the  guests,  and  then  Mme.  de  B.,  careful 
that  each  in  turn  should  have  an  opportu- 
nity to  shine,  turned  toward  Leon  and 
asked  him,  with  a  smile,  whether  in  the 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  yi 

course  of  his  campaigns  and  the  vicissitudes 
of  a  soldier's  life,  he  had  not  met  with  some 
adventure  that  would  bear  relating.  Leon's 
mind  was  ever  engrossed  with  his  own  re- 
cent experiences,  and  he  at  once  told  the 
tale,  placing  it,  however,  to  the  account  of 
a  brother  officer,  but  imparting  to  it  the 
living  interest  that  only  a  man  who  is  full 
of  his  subject  can  command. 

When  he  had  finished,  a  lively  discus- 
sion of  this  singular  fad  of  independence 
followed.  The  ladies  judged  with  just 
severity  the  inexcusable  imprudence  .that 
had  led  a  woman  so  lightly  to  expose  her- 
self, and  they  blamed  her  for  having 
sacrificed  her  principles  to  a  mistaken  taste 
for  freedom.  The  men  held  that  her  ac- 
tion was  a  sign  of  character  and  imagi- 
nation, and  that  she  had  lived  her  romance 
with  as  much  wit  as  decision,  and  they  set 
her  down  as  a  charming  woman.    They  all 


72  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

wished  they  had  been  in  the  shoes  of  that 
officer,  but  all  declared  they  would  not 
have  allowed  themselves  to  be  so  easily 
shaken  off,  for  no  vows  would  have  in- 
duced them  to  refrain  from  unmasking 
and  subjugating  the  beautiful  fugitive. 

"Indeed,"  said  a  lady  of  a  certain  age, 
with  some  dryness,  "one  need  hardly  have 
been  so  scrupulous  with  a  person  who  had 
so  little  respect  for  herself." 

"I  admit,"  said  a  very  pretty  woman 
seated  in  the  corner  of  the  fireplace,  "that 
it  is  impossible  to  justify  her  conduct. 
Still,  one  may  suppose  that  her  aversion 
for  a  second  marriage  rested  on  some  pow- 
erful and  secret  motive.  The  passion  of 
maternity  seems  to  have  done  the  rest,  and 
which  of  us,  when  fondling  the  child  who 
smiles  up  at  us,  but  can  find  in  our  heart 
some  excuse  for  an  error  prompted  by  this 
feeling?' 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  73 

"But  you  must  at  least  admit  that  it 
was  very  hard  upon  this  poor  officer?" 

"Why,  what  harm  has  she  done  to 
him?"  asked  the  pretty  lady  in  a  careless 
tone. 

"What  harm!"  cried  Leon  with  some 
heat.  "Is  it  then  nothing  for  him  to  be 
ever  pursued  by  the  memory  of  a  charming 
woman  whom  he  loves  for  her  grace  and 
spirit,  the  possession  of  whom  caused  him 
such  exquisite  pleasure,  and  who  now  ob- 
stinately conceals  herself  from  his  sight 
and  his  affection — a  woman  who,  appar- 
ently, only  aroused  his  passion  to  forsake 
him  at  once,  and  who  only  preserves  just 
such  relations  with  him  as  may  keep  alive 
a  desire  that  she  never  means  to  gratify? 
He  is  a  husband  and  a  father,  and  yet  may 
not  know  the  objects  of  the  most  natural  of 
sentiments;  he  does  not  even  know  their 
whereabouts,  though  he  is  followed,  found, 


74  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

and  disposed  of  at  will.  Obligations  are 
forced  on  him  while  he,  less  fortunate  than 
the  lowest  of  men,  will  never  enjoy  the  re- 
ward of  that  domestic  happiness  which  is 
open  to  all  except  himself." 

"Oh,  admit  there  is  some  exaggeration 
in  all  this.  What  is  to  prevent  him  from 
marrying*?" 

"But  how  can  he,  madame*?  Even  sup- 
posing time  should  at  length  wear  out  the 
deep  impression  made  on  him  by  his  tran- 
sient happiness,  can  he  be  said  to  belong  to 
himself  now"?  As  long  as  she  he  loves  is 
free,  can  he  cease  to  be  so  too*?  If  that  odd 
aversion  for  a  natural  tie  should  pass  away, 
and  he  could  some  day  obtain  the  hand  he 
has  so  long  desired,  how  would  he  console 
himself  if  in  the  meantime  he  had  disposed 
of  his  own?" 

"You  certainly  attribute  to  your  friend 
very  great  delicacy  of  feeling,"  said  the 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  75 

lady,  fixing  on  Leon  a  glance  in  which 
there  was  both  softness  and  interest. 

He  was  touched,  and  went  on  with  in- 
creasing fervor: 

"And  then  this  ring  divided  between  his 
child  and  him,  is  not  that  too  a  chain  that 
must  hold  him  forever?  No  matter  in 
what  position  he  may  be  placed,  his  affec- 
tion and  fatherly  care  may  one  day  be 
claimed — he  belongs  henceforth  to  some 
one,  though  no  one  belongs  to  him  I  And 
as  a  finishing  touch  to  a  unique  situation,  he 
can  only  hope  to  find  his  child  by  losing  its 
mother  I  The  first  sight  of  that  beloved  ob- 
ject will  tell  him  that  one  dearer  yet  is  no 
more;  and  it  is  only  at  the  price  of  a  hus- 
band's happiness  that  he  can  hope  for  that 
of  a  father  I" 

As  he  pronounced  the  last  words  Leon's 
voice  broke ;  a  tear  gathered  in  his  eyes. 

"My  word,  my  dear  Preval,"  said  the 


76  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

general,  smiling,  "you  have  given  us  so 
pathetic  a  picture  of  the  young  man's  situa- 
tion that  one  is  tempted  to  think  you  are 
drawing  it  from  life." 

Mme.  de  B.,  seeing  Leon's  emotion  and 
embarrassment,  hastened  to  change  the  sub- 
ject. He  remained  standing  against  the 
chimney  piece,  near  the  pleasant-looking 
woman. 

There  was  a  moment's  silence. 

"You  have  roused  a  good  deal  of  inter- 
est in  your  friend,"  she  said  gently. 
"Impossible  to  depict  his  feelings  with 
greater  eloquence." 

"At  least,  madame,  the  picture  is  a  true 
one,  but  the  campaign  now  about  to  begin 
will  distract  his  mind  from  his  troubles, 
and  the  hope  of  putting  a  glorious  end  to 
a  life  that  offers  no  prospect  of  happi- 
ness— " 

"What  are  you  thinking  of,  monsieur*?" 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  77 

said  the  lovely  lady.  'If  you  have  any  in- 
fluence over  him  you  ought  to  use  it  to 
turn  his  mind  from  so  terrible  an  idea; 
and  tell  him  it  is  his  duty  to  preserve  his 
life  for  that  child." 

"But  why  should  he  recognize  duties 
that  can  bring  him  no  recompense?  How 
can  he  owe  his  life  to  those  who  have 
spoiled  it  for  him?  But,"  he  added  with  a 
melancholy  smile,  "a  bullet  settles  very 
many  questions." 

At  that  moment  the  general  called  to 
him,  and  they  took  their  leave  amid  cordial 
wishes  from  their  friends  for  future  glory 
and  a  safe  return. 

"That  is  a  very  interesting  young  man," 
said  Mme.  de  B.  when  the  general  and  his 
aide-de-camp  had  left;  "he  has  a  charming 
face  and  a  fine  mind.  It  would  be  a  great 
pity  if  he  perished  in  Spain." 


VII 

FROM  that  moment  Mme.  de  Roselis 
(for  she,  of  course,  it  was)  lost  the 
tranquil  ease  and  proud  indifference 
she  had  flattered  herself  she  would  be  able 
to  preserve.  She  now  measured  the  grav- 
ity and  danger  of  her  act  by  the  severity 
with  which  the  women  had  judged  it,  while 
the  light  comments  of  the  men  revealed  to 
her  the  magnitude  of  the  debt  she  owed  to 
Leon's  rare  delicacy  of  conduct. 

This  consideration  increased  her  regard 
for  him.  By  degrees  the  idea  that  she  had 
injured  a  man  who  worshiped  her  and 
whom  she  could  not  help  liking,  the  peril 
and  glory  that  hung  around  him  lending 
him  the  glamour  that  women  love,  and,  fin- 
ally, the  element  of  anxiety  about  him, — 

78 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  79 

the  food  on  which  both  love  and  memory 
thrive, — all  these  things  helped  to  waken 
in  her  heart  a  feeling  that  was  new  to  her. 

She  was  seized  with  a  longing  to  see  her 
daughter  again,  and  regain  her  solitude, 
and  her  one  thought  was  to  get  away  as 
quickly  as  possible. 

While  paying  her  farewell  visit  to  Mme. 
de  B.  she  heard  that  General  X.  and  his 
pleasant  young  aide-de-camp  were  on  their 
way  to  Spain,  where  hostilities  had  already 
begun.  Her  heart  smote  her.  She  cut  her 
call  short;  an  almost  painful  restlessness 
impelled  her  homewards  to  hasten  the 
preparations  for  departure. 

What  a  difference  there  was  between  her 
present  state  of  mind  and  that  in  which  she 
had  arrived  at  the  beginning  of  the  winter, 
when  on  Mme.  de  Gernance's  pressing  in- 
vitation she  had  agreed  to  spend  that 
season  in  Paris.     Cheerful,  contented,  in 


8o  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

the  flower  of  her  youth,  looking  forward  to 
every  kind  of  enjoyment,  such  was  Mme. 
de  Roselis  then,  and  it  may  be  imagined 
with  what  favor  the  beautiful  and  wealthy 
widow  was  received  in  a  society  where 
happiness  constitutes  a  great  merit.  Mme. 
de  B.  was  one  of  the  first  persons  to  whom 
Elinor  was  introduced.  M.  de  Gernance 
was  an  intimate  friend  of  that  lady's  hus- 
band, and  when  the  first  rumors  of  war  had 
begun  to  circulate  in  the  city  the  idea  had 
struck  Elinor  to  utilize  this  friendship  to 
procure  a  better  and  less  dangerous  post 
for  Leon.  She  had  given  M.  de  Gernance 
to  understand  that  the  young  man  had  been 
recommended  to  her  by  his  family,  and  she 
only  requested  that  her  name  might  not  be 
mentioned  in  the  transaction. 

Her  intervention  was  crowned  with  suc- 
cess, and  then  by  a  coincidence  the  meet- 
ing between  the  two  had  taken  place  and 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  8i 

the  whole  course  of  her  life  was  suddenly 
changed. 

Mme.  de  Roselis  then  wended  her  way- 
back  to  Touraine,  worried,  anxious,  vexed 
with  herself  for  the  folly  that  had  brought 
about  such  unlooked  for  results.  Her  lively 
imagination  painted  as  imminent  all  the 
most  terrible  disasters  that  could  possibly 
befall,  and  her  heart  melted  at  the  con- 
templation of  misfortunes  that  she  was  in- 
venting for  herself.  She  left  her  black 
servant  in  Paris  to  collect  and  forward  all 
the  news  that  came  in  from  Spain,  for  she 
was  beginning  to  take  a  keen  interest  in  the 
events  that  were  passing  there. 

At  the  sight  of  her  daughter  she  felt 
her  dearer  to  her  than  ever;  she  detected 
a  likeness  hitherto  unnoticed,  and  new 
kisses,  fonder  than  the  first,  were  the  result 
of  this  discovery. 

More  lonely  now  than  she  had  ever  been, 


82  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Mme.  de  Roselis  spent  the  summer  watch- 
ing the  daily  progress  of  her  darling 
babe;  every  month  it  grew  in  beauty  and 
in  intelligence.  Elinor  was  charmed;  yet 
frequently  she  would  have  been  glad  to 
hnd  at  her  side  some  one  who  could  share 
her  maternal  enthusiasm. 

"It  is  sad,  after  all,"  she  said  to  herself, 
"to  have  nobody  with  me  who  can  enter 
into  my  happiness  and  share  it  with  me.  I 
suppose,"  she  went  on,  with  a  sigh  that  her 
pride  promptly  stifled,  "only  a  father 
could  take  pleasure  in  these  childish  things. 
And  even  so,  who  knows,  but  afterwards, 
a  despotic  lord  and  master  might  hinder 
my  plans  for  bringing  her  up,  and  his  rigid 
strictness —  Ah,  but  Leon  would  never  be 
despotic.  He  has  a  very  gentle  expression 
and  a  tender  smile.  He  would  make  a 
good  father." 

Then  she  remembered  that  he  was  fat 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  83 

away,  and  exposed  to  all  the  dangers  of 
war;  that  he  sought  death,  was  perhaps 
already  dead. 

And  Mme.  de  Roselis  wrote  for  tidings 
from  Spain,  only  regaining  her  cheerful 
and  proud  mien  when  she  learned  that 
M.  de  Preval  was  in  such  or  such  a  town, 
and  in  good  health. 

As  winter  approached,  her  friends,  un- 
able to  conceive  what  was  the  attraction 
that  kept  her  away  alone,  wrote  urging  her 
to  come  up  to  town  and  stay  with  them 
again.  But  she  could  not  make  up  her 
mind  as  yet  to  leave  her  little  Leonie  again, 
for  she  loved  her  more  passionately  every 
day,  and,  not  caring  to  inform  Mme.  de 
Gernance  of  the  child's  existence,  she 
made  various  excuses  for  postponing  her 
departure. 

It  was  not  until  January  that  she  finally 
went  up  to  Paris.     But  all  the  brilliant 


84  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

gaiety  and  pleasant  parties  that  had  so  de- 
lighted her  the  previous  year  now  failed  to 
interest  her  at  all ;  they  seemed  tedious  and 
insipid.  She  returned  home  worn  out,  and 
discontented;  felt  lonely  when  she  got 
there,  and  began  to  wonder  whether  the 
independence  that  she  worshiped  was  not 
too  frequently  purchased  at  the  price  of  an 
empty  heart  and  the  dullness  it  involves. 

Wearied  by  the  persistent  attentions  of 
a  crowd  of  triflers,  who  were  encouraged  by 
her  position,  she  told  herself  that  she  would 
have  done  better  to  attach  to  her  side  one 
who  would  have  rid  her  of  the  rest;  that  in 
society  an  attractive  and  beautiful  woman 
needs  a  protector  who  will  compel  all 
others  to  respect  her;  and  imperceptibly, 
the  memory  of  Leon  became  less  indifferent 
to  her. 

Then,  suddenly,  there  came  tidings  of 
fierce  fighting  in  Spain. 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  85 

In  great  alarm  Elinor,  filled  with  the 
gloomiest  presentiments,  hastened  to  call 
on  Mme.  de  B.  She  found  her  friends  al- 
ready occupied  with  the  subject  that  filled 
her  thoughts,  but  what  was  her  emotion 
when,  after  mentioning  the  names  of  sev- 
eral officers  who  had  perished  in  the 
engagement,  Mme.  de  B.,  turning  to  her, 
said: 

"Do  you  remember,  madame,  that  nice 
young  aide-de-camp  of  General  X.'s  who 
told  us  that  strange  story?  Well,  he  has 
disappeared  since  the  battle.  He  is  not  to 
be  found  among  either  the  living  or  the 
dead."      , 

Elinor's  only  reply  was  a  cry  of  sur- 
prise. Fortunately  for  her,  all  those  pres- 
ent broke  into  an  eager  discussion  of  the 
news.  She  listened  in  silence  to  conjec- 
tures each  more  dismal  than  the  last,  and 
then  hastily  took  her  leave.     She  knew  at 


86  LOFE  IN  A  MASK 

last  that,  notwithstanding  all  her  precau- 
tions, a  man  had  the  power  to  disturb  her 
happiness  and  influence  the  course  of  her 
life. 

She  remained  in  Paris  a  month  longer, 
hoping  always  to  obtain  reliable  informa- 
tion, but  as  no  news  came  to  throw  light 
on  the  darkness  hanging  over  the  fate  of 
Leon,  she  decided  to  return  to  Touraine. 

In  vain  Mme.  de  Gernance,  who  could 
not  understand  her  low  spirits,  tried  to  dis- 
suade her  from  leaving  them,  fearing,  in 
her  uneasiness  about  her  friend's  health, 
lest  loneliness  might  be  prejudicial  to  her. 
Elinor  departed,  carrying  with  her  the 
anxiety  and  regret  that  she  could  not 
shake  off.  The  sight  of  her  child  only 
increased  her  sorrow. 

"She  has  only  me  now,"  she  said.  "He 
who  might  one  day  have  taken  my  place  is 
gone." 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  87 

She  watched  the  post  impatiently,  but 
nearly  two  months  passed,  and  still  no 
news  came  of  Leon's  fate. 


VIII 

SHE  sat  one  evening  in  a  corner  of  the 
park,  watching  the  child  at  play 
and  musing  idly  on  the  man  whose 
image  Leonie  always  called  up  before  her 
mind. 

Presently  there  reached  her  ear  con- 
fused voices,  coming  from  the  servants, 
who  seemed  to  be  searching  for  her. 

"Madame  must  be  somewhere  in  the 
park  with  her  daughter,"  she  heard  one 
say. 

"With  her  daughter  I"  exclaimed  a  voice 
that  she   recognized   as   Mme.   de   Ger- 
nance's. 

At  the  same  moment  that  lady  came  in 
sight,  and  the  two  friends  fell  into  each 
other's  arms. 

88 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  89 

"Dear  Elinor,"  said  her  visitor  affection- 
ately, "my  anxiety  about  you  gave  me  no 
peace.  Your  letters  have  been  so  few  and 
far  between,  and  were  so  sad,  that  I  felt 
I  must  come  and  see  for  myself  how  you 
really  were.  I  have  come  to  share  and,  if 
possible,  enliven  your  solitude  for  a  little 
time." 

But  while  her  friend  was  uttering  her 
earnest  thanks  for  this  mark  of  friendship, 
Mme.  de  Gernance  had  fixed  her  eyes  on 
the  child  in  much  surprise  and  curiosity, 
for  she  saw  that  she  was  treated  by  the 
servants  as  the  daughter  of  the  house,  and 
in  her  baby  talk  she  constantly  called  out 
to  her  mother. 

When  they  had  gone  back  to  the  house 
Mme.  de  Roselis  said,  smiling : 

"I  see  your  astonishment,  and  I  can  guess 
your  curiosity.  Yes,  dear  friend,  I  have 
been  keeping  a  secret  from  you,  a  secret 


90  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

that  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  confide  in 
you.  But  now,  to-morrow,  you  shall  hear 
all  about  it,  and  my  story  will  at  the  same 
time  explain  my  sadness." 

Notwithstanding  the  fatigue  of  her 
journey,  Mme.  de  Gernance  scarcely  slept 
that  night,  so  great  was  her  anxiety  to  hear 
the  explanation  of  what  was  a  mystery  to 
her. 

She  was  up  early  in  the  morning,  and 
hastened  to  find  Elinor,  and  together  the 
two  wandered  out  into  the  park  to  have 
their  talk  out  alone.  Mme.  de  Roselis 
walked  in  silence  by  her  friend's  side,  a 
little  shy  of  making  this  confidence  that 
she  had  promised. 

At  last,  hesitating  slightly,  she  thus 
began : 

"It  is  too  late  now,  dear  friend,  to  at- 
tempt to  hide  from  you  a  secret  that  I 
have  always  wanted  to  tell  you,  and  which 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  91 

I  only  delayed  because  I  knew  you  would 
not  approve.  However,  since  I  must 
confess,  the  baby  who  has  so  excited  your 
curiosity  is  my  daughter.  I  had  so  longed 
for  a  child,  but  I  could  not  bear  to  place 
my  neck  a  second  time  under  the  yoke  that 
had  weighed  so  heavy  on  me  before." 

Mme.  de  Gernance  could  not  refrain 
from  showing  the  surprise  she  felt;  but 
without  giving  her  time  to  speak,  Elinor 
went  on  to  tell  her  about  the  rash  scheme 
she  had  formed  on  the  voyage,  and  the 
means  she  had  adopted  for  carrying  it  out. 

She  came  at  last  to  the  birth  of  the 
child,  but  here  she  was  interrupted  impet- 
uously by  her  friend. 

"What  precautions  and  prudence  to 
bestow  on  an  act  of  sheer  madness !  How 
much  you  risked  I  How  could  you  com- 
promise in  such  a  way  your  reputation, 
and  indeed  your  very  life  I     And  why  all 


92  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

these  sacrifices'?  Just  to  grasp  an  imper- 
fect happiness  you  are  obliged  to  hide, 
and  dare  not  show  I  So  this  is  to  what 
your  excessive  caution  has  brought  you  I 
Carried  away  by  your  imagination,  you 
have  hugged  a  chimera  which  led  you  to 
refuse  the  real  blessings  of  life  in  favor 
of  the  hollow  satisfaction  of  following  a 
caprice  I  Oh,  take  my  advice,  lose  no  time 
in  recalling  the  father  of  that  dear  child. 
Do  not  any  longer  deprive  yourself  of  the 
pleasures  of  natural  affection  and  the 
sweetest  of  home  ties." 

"Ah,  it  is  no  longer  in  my  power,"  ex- 
claimed Mme.  de  Roselis.  "Listen  a 
moment,  and  you  shall  see  how  I  have 
been  punished  for  the  error  you  so  severely 
condemn." 

Then  she  reminded  her  of  the  young 
aide-de-camp  who  had  been  so  much 
talked  about  at  Mme.  de  B.'s,  and  who 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  93 

had  been  so  keenly  regretted  by  everybody. 
"What  I"  cried  Mme.  de  Gernance, 
"was  it  he*?  Oh,  what  have  you  done, 
Elinor?  How  I  pity  you  I  Now  you  see 
how  your  folly  has  destroyed  your  peace 
of  mind  and  happiness,  and  by  a  punish- 
ment that  you  richly  deserve,  it  is  not 
even  possible  for  you  to  make  any  amends. 
Henceforth  you  will  be  a  wife  without  a 
right  to  bear  the  name,  and  a  mother, 
though  you  scarcely  dare  to  have  it  known. 
You  will  spend  your  life  blushing  for  the 
most  natural  and  honorable  of  feelings, 
and  you,  so  beautiful,  so  brilliant,  so 
richly  gifted  by  nature  and  fortune,  have 
by  your  own  perverse  act  deprived  your- 
self of  the  happiness  the  meanest  of  women 
is  entitled  to  enjoy,  the  happiness  of  hav- 
ing husband  and  child,  the  sweetest  of  all  I 
But  there  is  more  in  it  even  than  that.  I 
can  read  your  heart;  it  is  useless  for  your 


94  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

pride  to  try  to  conceal  the  fact  from  your 
friend  and  from  yourself.  Your  heart  is 
no  longer  in  your  own  keeping;  you  love, 
you  have  given  it — " 

At  this,  Mme.  de  Roselis  hid  her  face 
in  her  hands;  the  tears  flowed  from  her 
eyes. 

"Dear  Elinor,"  said  Mme.  de  Gernance 
kindly,  drawing  nearer  to  her  and  taking 
her  in  her  arms,  "when  I  see  you  weep, 
I  realize  I  love  you  too  well  to  be  your 
judge.  Don't  grieve  any  more  for  an  evil 
that  may  be  remedied.  Let  us  hope  that 
Leon  is  still  alive,  and  that  all  may  yet 
be  condoned." 

But  at  that  word  Elinor's  tears  ceased. 

"Condoned  I"  she  said  proudly.  "No, 
my  dear,  I  do  not  think  I  should  easily 
consent  to  what  you  call  condoning  it. 
I  have  done  wrong,  it  is  true,  but  not  from 
weakness.    I  did  it  on  purpose,  after  long 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  95 

consideration  of  the  troubles  I  had  borne. 
It  is  true  I  grieve  over  the  fate  of  a  man 
who  does  interest  me,  and  whose  life  I 
have  disturbed  and  perhaps  shortened.  I 
cannot  be  happy  again  until  I  know  he 
is  not  dead;  but  as  for  giving  up  my  inde- 
pendence, and  by  this  change  of  mind 
letting  people  think  I  had  been  either 
weak  or  inconsequent,  this  I  shall  never 
consent  to." 

Mme.  de  Gernance  saw  that  it  was  not 
the  moment  to  attack  either  the  prejudices 
or  the  pride  of  her  friend;  from  that 
moment,  however,  Leon  became  their  one 
subject  of  conversation,  and  by  thus  con- 
stantly talking  about  him,  Elinor  uncon- 
sciously strengthened  the  inclination  she 
already  felt  for  him. 

For  her  part  Mme.  de  Gernance  would 
draw  an  attractive  picture  of  the  happi- 
ness she  herself  enjoyed,  and  which  she 


96  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

assured  her  friend  might  easily  be  hers 
as  well,  Elinor,  now  touched,  and  some- 
what shaken  in  her  resolution,  would 
smile  at  her  friend's  advice,  and  anon, 
returning  to  her  cherished  chimera  of 
liberty,  would  wax  indignant  at  the  sug- 
gestion that  she  should  give  it  up,  after 
the  sacrifices  she  had  made  in  its  name. 
Still,  on  one  point  the  two  friends  were 
ever  agreed,  and  that  was  in  wishing  that 
Leon  might  return. 

Elinor  and  Mme.  de  Gernance  were  one 
day  together,  discussing  their  favorite 
subject,  when  a  messenger  came  to  tell 
them  that  the  servant  of  a  traveler,  who 
was  passing  along  the  high  road,  was  im- 
ploring help  for  his  master,  who,  ill  and 
in  great  pain,  had  just  fainted  away  in 
his  carriage. 

Mme.  de  Roselis  at  once  gave  orders 
that  everything  possible  should  be  done 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  97 

for  him,  and  urged  by  compassion,  so 
natural  to  women,  went  herself,  accom- 
panied by  her  friend,  to  see  the  sick  man. 
He  had  been  lifted  out  of  the  carriage 
and  was  lying  on  the  grass,  pale,  uncon- 
scious, and  covered  with  blood;  his  fright- 
ened servant  was  declaring  that  the  wound 
had  opened  and  his  master  was  lost. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  Mme.  de 
Roselis  arrived  on  the  scene;  but  scarcely 
had  her  eyes  fallen  on  the  inanimate  form 
before  her  when  she  screamed,  and,  hiding 
her  face  on  her  friend's  shoulder,  she  said, 
in  a  stifled  voice : 

"It  is  he  I  He  is  going  to  die  before 
my  very  eyes!" 

"In  Heaven's  name,"  replied  Mme.  de 
Gernance  in  a  whisper,  "take  courage  I 
Don't  betray  yourself  I" 

Those  few  words  were  enough  to  bring 
Elinor  to  her  senses;  feeling  the  danger 


98  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

of  the  situation,  she  summoned  all  her 
strength  and  ordered  the  interesting  in- 
valid to  be  carried,  still  fainting,  into  the 
chateau. 


IX 

WHEN  he  once  more  opened  his 
eyes  Leon  found  himself  in 
bed  with  a  surgeon  seated  beside 
him.  His  wound  had  been  redressed,  and 
everything  done  for  him  that  kindness 
could  suggest.  His  servant,  whom  he  tried 
to  question,  was  eager  to  tell  him,  in  a  few 
words,  what  had  happened,  but  the  sur- 
geon interrupted  him  and  ordered  silence 
and  rest. 

To  Mme.  de  Roselis,  who  was  anxiously 
awaiting  news  of  the  sick  man,  it  was  a 
shock  to  learn  that  he  was  extremely  weak 
from  loss  of  blood  and  that,  in  the  event 
of  fever  setting  in,  he  could  hardly  be 
expected  to  resist  it.  Perfect  quiet  was 
ordered.     It  was  decided  that  the  ladies 

99 


lOO  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

must  not  go  into  his  room,  but  should 
content  themselves  with  seeing  that  he 
had  everything  he  needed. 

Next  morning  Elinor  rang  her  bell  be- 
fore dawn,  and  was  terrified  to  learn  that 
fever  had  set  in  during  the  night,  to  be 
followed  by  delirium.  It  was  only  then, 
in  the  surprise  she  felt  at  her  own  despair, 
that  she  realized  how  dear  Leon  had 
become  to  her,  and  she  now  admitted  to 
herself  that  she  could  never  be  happy 
without  him.  Of  her  pride  and  futile 
prejudices  nothing  remained;  her  whole 
being  was  engrossed  by  the  thought  of  his 
danger.  Mme.  de  Gernance  was  so  afraid 
her  agitation  would  betray  her  that  she  took 
great  trouble  throughout  the  day  to  keep 
her  out  of  the  patient's  room ;  but  the  next 
night,  when  her  household  was  in  bed, 
and  she  was  once  more  alone  and  sleepless 
in    the   solemn   silence   which    intensifies 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  loi 

suffering  and  renders  fear  unbearable,  Eli- 
nor, unable  any  longer  to  wrestle  with 
her  anxiety,  rose  and  slipped  out  into  the 
corridor  to  listen  at  the  door  of  Leon's 
room  and  find  out  how  he  was.  He  was 
still  evidently  delirious,  and  the  distressed 
accents  of  his  trembling  voice  came 
brokenly  to  her  ear.  Forgetting  every- 
thing but  her  grief,  she  opened  the  door 
softly  and  went  in. 

The  nurse  had  fallen  asleep.  By  the 
dim  light  of  the  lamp  she  recognized  the 
pleasant  features  that  were  so  deeply 
graven  on  her  memory;  but  the  eyes  were 
now  fixed,  the  face  bright  with  fever;  his 
labored  breathing  could  scarcely  lift  the 
sheet  that  seemed  to  weigh  all  too  heavy 
on  his  chest.  Elinor  dropped  into  an 
arm-chair  that  was  close  to  the  door 
and  hid  her  face  and  her  tears  in  her 
two  hands. 


102  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

The  slight  noise  she  made  roused  Leon 
from  his  momentary  stupor. 

"Is  that  she'?"  he  said.  "Will  she 
come*?  I  am  going  to  die.  Let  me  see 
her  at  last.  Tell  her  I  am  dying.  But 
where  is  she  to  be  found?  I  have  lost  her 
— lost  her  forever." 

He  paused,  and  then  began  again. 

"My  daughter — bring  her  to  me.  Can 
they  refuse  to  let  me  see  my  child  when 
I  am  dying?  Poor  little  thing  I  Don't 
try  to  find  your  father.  You  have  none. 
He  was  not  able  even  to  give  you  his 
blessing  in  his  last  moments." 

This  was  too  much  for  Elinor,  and  she 
burst  out  sobbing. 

Leon  started  and  turned  his  head 
slightly,  but  his  eyes,  still  fixed,  saw 
nothing. 

"Where  is  this  mysterious  hiding  place? 
What  do  I  see  on  the  sofa?    It  is  you,  you 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  103 

whom  I  adore,  you  whom  I  sought.  I 
hold  you  in  my  arms.  But  your  mask — 
take  off  your  mask,  do  take  it  off.  What ! 
You  still  want  to  run  away"?  No,  no,  you 
shall  not  escape  me  again." 

As  he  spoke,  he  made  an  effort  to  raise 
himself. 

"Leon,"  cried  Elinor,  rushing  to  the 
bedside,  "Leon,  stop!" 

He  looked  up  at  her,  startled,  uncer- 
tain; then,  after  an  instant's  silence,  he 
began  again  more  calmly: 

"It  is  too  much.  Lift  my  head.  Ah! 
if  I  could  but  sleep !" 

By  this  time  the  nurse,  roused  by  Eli- 
nor's cry,  had  come  forward  to  support 
him,  but  he  turned  from  her,  and  let  his 
head  drop  on  Elinor's  bosom.  By  degrees, 
a  more  tranquil  sleep  seemed  to  steal  over 
his  senses. 

A  little  later  Mme.  de  Gernance  joined 


104  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

them,  looking  anxiously  for  her  friend. 
She  too  had  risen  before  daybreak  and,  not 
finding  Elinor  in  her  own  apartments, 
had  hastened  to  the  sick  room,  where  the 
spectacle  before  her  eyes  arrested  her  at 
the  door.  Leon  was  asleep,  supported  on 
Elinor's  shoulder,  while  she,  seated  mo- 
tionless on  the  edge  of  the  bed  with  her 
head  bent  over  her  lover's,  was  vainly 
endeavoring  to  check  the  tears  that 
streamed  from  her  eyes. 

Mme.  de  Gernance  hastened  up  to  the 
bed. 

"What  are  you  doing  here,  Elinor^" 
she  said  in  a  low  whisper.  "How  impru- 
dent you  are  I" 

"Leave  me  alone,"  her  friend  rejoined. 
"Nothing  will  induce  me  to  leave  this  bed 
until  this  unfortunate  man  is  either  dead 
or  saved.  I  don't  care  who  knows  that  I 
love  him  and  that  I  am  his;  it  is  a  just 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  105 

punishment  for  my  offenses.  If  only  he 
might  live  I     Nothing  else  matters." 

Fear  of  disturbing  the  patient  kept 
them  both  silent  after  that,  and  Leon's 
sleep  continued  as  calm  as  it  was  sound. 

He  had  slept  several  hours  when,  half 
opening  his  eyes,  and  making  an  effort 
to  lift  the  heavy  lids,  his  first  glance  fell 
on  the  trembling  Elinor,  who  was  try- 
ing gently  to  put  him  back  on  the  pillows. 

He  closed  his  eyes  again.  Then,  once 
more  opening  them,  "Where  am  I*?"  he 
said  in  a  weak  voice. 

Then,  seeing  that  he  was  almost  in  the 
arms  of  a  woman  who  did  not  look  like 
a  nurse,  he  made  a  movement  to  try  to 
help  her  to  set  down  her  burden.  His 
eyes,  wild  no  longer,  but  filled  with  sur- 
prise and  doubt,  followed  Elinor  behind 
the  curtain,  where  she  was  attempting  to 
conceal  herself. 


io6  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

"Is  it  a  dreamt"  he  said,  speaking  with 
difficulty.  "I  seem  to  have  seen  that  face 
before.    Ah,  madame,  am  I  to  believe — '* 

"He  has  recognized  me,"  she  said  to 
herself  in  a  fright  and  blushing  crimson. 

"Once,  I  think,  at  Mme.  de  B.'s  house, 
but  once  is  sufficient.  One  could  never 
forget  you,"  and  his  large,  languid  eyes 
were  still  riveted  on  her. 

"Be  quiet  I  Be  quiet!  No  more  talk- 
ing. You  are  ordered  the  strictest  silence. 
Keep  still,  and  do  not  even  think.  Hope 
and  sleep." 

The  doctor  arrived  shortly.  He  de- 
clared that  the  long  sleep  had  done  the 
patient  a  world  of  good,  that  the  fever  had 
gone  down,  and  if  the  temperature  now 
remained  steady  through  the  coming  night 
he  might  be  considered  to  be  saved. 

Elinor  listened,  holding  her  breath,  and 
drinking  in   the   reassuring  words.     Her 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  107 

joy,  too  great  to  be  repressed,  brought 
back  a  charming  color  to  her  pale,  wet 
cheeks. 

When  night  fell  she  insisted  on  taking 
her  place  in  a  corner  of  Leon's  room,  to 
await  the  dreaded  attack  of  fever.  It  did 
not  come,  however,  and  the  night  proved 
a  good  one.  The  following  day  the  doctor 
announced  that  there  was  no  longer  any 
danger,  but  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  warn 
Mme.  de  Roselis  that  convalescence  would 
probably  be  slow,  and  that  it  would  be 
dangerous  to  move  the  patient  until  the 
wound  was  thoroughly  healed. 

Elinor,  making  a  great  effort  to  show 
only  a  cool  compassion,  trembled  with  joy 
at  the  prospect  of  the  long  days  to  come, 
when,  in  sweet  intimacy,  she  would  be 
able  to  devote  herself  to  Leon  and  restore 
him  to  happiness  as  she  had  already  re- 
stored him  to  life. 


io8  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

It  was  not  long  before  he  was  able  to 
express  his  gratitude  to  the  kind  chatelaine 
whom,  as  he  believed,  he  had  seen  but  once 
before,  but  whose  beauty,  indulgence,  and 
sensitiveness  had  made  the  deepest  impres- 
sion on  him. 

The  two  friends  hardly  left  his  room. 
They  amused  him,  read  to  him,  played 
soft  music  to  him.  It  was  the  story  over 
again  of  Bayard  nursed  by  the  two  sisters ; 
nay,  it  was  more.  Elinor,  ever  watchful, 
seemed  to  guess  and  forestall  his  every 
want;  she  always  knew  how  to  find  for 
him  the  easiest  position,  and  she  surrounded 
him  with  those  thousand  and  one  little 
attentions  which  add  to  your  comfort 
without  attracting  your  attention. 

It  was  then  that  Leon  told  them  how, 
wounded  severely  in  a  hot  fight  in  Spain, 
and  left  on  the  field  of  battle,  he  had  been 
dragged   from   the   jaws   of   death   by   a 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  109 

woman,  who,  touched  by  his  youth  and 
condition,  had  taken  him  home  with  her 
and  nursed  him  tenderly.  He  was  recov- 
ering when  a  troop  of  guerillas  arrived  at 
the  place  and  he  was  forced  to  flee  from 
his  benefactress'  house  in  order  to  escape 
from  their  hands.  After  many  narrow 
escapes  he  had  finally  reached  Bayonne, 
where  he  had  been  too  restless  to  stay  long 
enough  to  be  entirely  cured,  and  the  fa- 
tigues of  the  journey  had  brought  about 
the  accident  to  which  he  owed  her  generous 
hospitality.  This  was  his  story,  and  it 
explained  to  Elinor  the  uncertainty  that 
had  for  so  long  hung  about  his  fate. 


X 

MEANTIME,  poor  little  Leonie 
was  the  only  person  who  had 
a  right  to  feel  aggrieved  by  the 
arrival  of  the  new  guest,  for  she  was  care- 
fully excluded  from  his  room,  where  her 
high  spirits  might  have  appeared  too 
boisterous.  Elinor  had  a  feeling  of  shame 
about  showing  her  to  Leon,  as  if  she  feared 
that  he  might  guess  his  own  interest  in 
her;  but  the  child,  having  been  accustomed 
to  be  always  with  her  mother,  was  con- 
stantly running  after  her. 

Finding  the  sick  man's  door  ajar,  one 
day,  she  softly  pushed  it,  and  put  her 
pretty  head  through  to  look  in.  Her 
eyes,  both  timid  and  inquisitive,  fell  on 
the  stranger  whom  she  had  never  yet  seen. 

110 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  iii 

Leon  was  the  first  to  catch  sight  of  her. 
He  called  out  in  surprise. 

"Where  does  that  beautiful  baby  come 
from^"  he  exclaimed. 

She  had  already  fled,  but  her  mother, 
with  beating  heart  and  flushed  cheeks, 
called  her  back,  took  her  in  her  arms,  and 
placed  her  on  Leon's  knees. 

He  was  conscious  of  a  sudden  rush  of 
memory,  and  in  an  inexplicable  tide  of 
feeling  he  gazed  fondly  at  her,  covered 
her  with  caresses,  and  then  inquired  her 
age  in  a  voice  that  betrayed  great  emotion. 

Elinor,  confused  and  now  convinced 
that  he  had  guessed  the  truth,  added  a 
year. 

"I  should  have  taken  her  to  be  younger," 
said  Leon,  with  a  sigh,  and  fell  into  a 
muse. 

The  little  girl,  having  forgotten  her 
fears,  now  refused  to  leave  the  lap  of  her 


112  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

new  friend ;  nor  could  he  bear  to  set 
her  down. 

"But  I  must  part  you,"  said  Elinor, 
smiling;  "when  I  see  you  so  distressed,  I 
regret  having  brought  her  in." 

"Ah,  madame,  if  you  knew  of  what  she 
reminds  me  I" 

"But  if  I  may  take  you  to  be  the  hero 
of  an  interesting  anecdote  that  I  have  by 
no  means  forgotten,  I  can  easily  guess — " 

"Well,  yes,  madame,  it  was  I,  and 
though  she  has  betrayed  and  cast  me  off, 
after  apparently  choosing  me,  I  have  re- 
mained in  spite  of  myself  faithful  to  her 
memory,  ever  regretting  a  shadow,  and 
pursuing  a  vain  chimera,  unable  to  die, 
or  to  live  happy  any  longer." 

Elinor  could  hardly  keep  back  her  tears. 

"Then,"  she  said  timidly,  "you  love  her 
still?' 

"I  scarcely  know  if  I  do,  if  I  am  weak 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  113 

enough  to  love  her  still ;  but  our  meetings, 
the  moments  spent  in  her  presence,  her 
grace,  even  her  capriciousness, — all  are 
graven  on  my  memory.  She  has  bruised 
my  soul,  and  taken  the  glamour  from  life 
for  me." 

"Oh,"  cried  Elinor  in  a  heartbroken 
voice,  "such  constancy  deserves  reward. 
You  may  be  sure  that  the  day  will  come 
when  she  will  return,  humbled  in  her 
turn,  softened,  to  heal  the  wounds  she  has 
caused  and  to  win  your  pardon." 

"Never  I  For  three  years  that  proud, 
unfeeling  woman  has  never  condescended 
to  send  me  as  much  as  a  word  of  remem- 
brance. She  has  probably  gone  back  to 
her  own  land,  to  India,  America,  or  where 
not.  She  has  triumphed,  and  must  be 
laughing  at  my  credulity,  and  I  should 
like  to  forget  her.  Lately  I  have  almost 
thought  it  might  be  possible,  and  perhaps, 


.114  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

indeed,"  he  added,  in  an  altered  voice,  "I 
shall  succeed  only  too  soon." 

"You  will  forget  her,  Leon?' 

The  words  had  been  spoken  in  a  voice 
of  such  tender  reproach  that  Leon  gazed 
at  her.  He  saw  that  her  eyes  were  full 
of  tears. 

"Ah,  madame,"  he  said,  after  a  mo- 
ment's pause,  "your  sympathy  is  very  dear 
to  me  I  If  only  she  had  your  nature,  your 
responsive  sensitiveness,  I  should  be  a 
happy  man  to-day.  My  own  child,  per- 
haps as  pretty  as  yours,  would  be  now 
sitting  on  my  knee." 

Then,  turning  on  Elinor  his  still  languid 
eyes: 

"And  her  mother — close  beside  me — 
loving — " 

"These  recollections  only  sadden  you, 
and  do  you  no  good  at  all,"  said  Elinor, 
shaking    all    over,    and    picking    up   her 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  115 

child.  "Decidedly,  I  shall  have  to  part 
you." 

"Forgive  me,  madame;  I  have  been 
dreaming.     But  why  wake  me  so  soon*?" 

Not  daring  to  listen  to  another  word, 
Elinor  fled  with  her  child  to  tell  Mme.  de 
Gernance  all  that  had  passed  between 
them. 

From  that  day,  little  Leonie  was  as 
assiduous  as  her  mother  in  her  attentions 
to  the  convalescent.  He  continually 
asked  for  her,  and  became  passionately 
attached  to  her. 

The  child,  for  her  part,  called  him 
her  friend,  heaped  kisses  on  him,  and 
insisted  on  being  always  between  him  and 
her  mother.  Her  artless  affection  for 
them  both  gave  rise  to  many  an  embarrass- 
ing scene  that  was  fraught  with  pleasure 
for  Elinor,  but  left  Leon  ever  more  de- 
pressed and  pensive. 


ii6  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Meantime,  he  was  growing  visibly 
stronger;  his  wound  was  making  progress; 
time,  which  passes  so  swiftly  in  the  happy 
days  of  a  budding  friendship,  had  brought 
winter  back  again  with  the  month  of 
December. 

Mme.  de  Gernance  had  for  some  time 
talked  of  leaving  them;  she  now  declared 
she  could  no  longer  postpone  her  depart- 
ure. Then,  all  at  once,  in  a  voice  that 
showed  the  effort  the  words  cost  him, 
Leon  begged  permission  to  accompany 
her. 

Greatly  surprised  at  so  sudden  a  de- 
cision, Mme.  de  Roselis  opposed  the  plan. 

"Ah,  madame,"  he  answered  quickly, 
"pray  let  me  go;  I  have  but  too  long 
reveled  in  a  happiness  that  is  full  of 
danger,  since  it  is  not  for  me.  Let  me  flee 
from  you  and  your  child,  from  the  spell 
of  your  kind  care,  and  these  happy  days 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  117 

that  fly  so  fast.  Let  me  return  to  the 
solitude  that  must  ever  be  my  lot." 

"But  at  least,  wait  till  we  can  ask  the 
doctor  if  you  are  fit  to — " 

"There  are  dangers  from  which  the 
doctor  with  his  science  is  powerless  to 
preserve  me.  My  destiny  is  to  flee  all 
that  is  lovable,  all  that  might  captivate 
and  charm.  I  cannot  get  away  from  this 
place  too  soon — " 

"Well,  my  dear,"  said  Elinor,  turning 
to  her  friend,  "I  must  then  trust  my 
wounded  knight  to  your  care.  You  will 
answer  to  me  for  his  safety,  at  all  events." 

A  little  taken  aback,  perhaps,  at  her 
letting  him  go  so  easily,  Leon  went  out  to 
give  the  necessary  orders  for  his  departure. 
Elinor  followed  him  w4th  her  eyes,  a  smile 
on  her  face. 

"Well,  perhaps  you  will  be  kind  enough 
to  explain  this  new  comedy  to  me,"  said 


ii8  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

Mme.  de  Gernance  in  much  vexation.  "It 
is  clear  that  he  is  running  away  because 
he  is  afraid  he  might  love  you.  Then 
what  are  you  waiting  for^  Why  not  re- 
veal yourself,  and  end  this  folly  that  has 
lasted  already  far  too  long?  Can  you 
find  any  pleasure  in  this  new  way  of  tor- 
menting him?" 

"Ah,  dear,  how  fascinating  it  is  to  be 
your  own  rival,  to  win  him  twice  under 
such  different  guises!  He  is  true  to  me 
even  in  his  inconstancy;  he  has  so  much 
delicacy  and  honor  that  he  runs  from  me 
so  as  not  to  betray  me.  He  loved  me 
once;  he  loves  no  one  but  me.  How 
happy  I  am!" 

"But  Leon,  poor  Leon!  When  are  you 
going  to  begin  to  think  about  his  happi- 
ness? Say  what  you  have  to  say  to 
him,  Elinor,  and  let  us  all  go  to  Paris 
together,  where  you  can  make  a  marriage 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  119 

that  will,  I  suppose,  have  no  terrors  for 
you." 

"No,  I  have  a  plan  in  my  head.  You 
go  with  him,  and  I  will  follow  you  very 
shortly." 

"Elinor,  Elinor,  still  romantic,  still 
imagining  wild  schemes  I" 

"Dear  friend,  only  this  once.  It  shall 
be  the  very  last  time,  I  swear !" 

At  that  moment,  Leon  returned.  He 
seemed  disturbed  and  excited.  Every- 
thing was  being  got  ready  for  his  journey. 

Mme.  de  Gernance,  displeased  with  her 
friend,  but  forced  to  yield  to  her,  went  off 
to  make  her  own  preparations.  But  when 
the  time  came  to  say  good-bye,  every  one 
broke  down;  Elinor,  in  tears,  handed  her 
patient  over  to  Mme.  de  Gernance,  who 
promised  to  take  him  home  with  her  and 
to  look  after  him  carefully;  Leon,  white 
and  grave,  stood  beside  the  carriage,  thank- 


120  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

ing  her  over  and  over  again  in  impassioned 
tones.  He  constantly  left  and  then  re- 
turned to  the  child,  who  cried  aloud  when 
she  saw  her  friend  going  away. 

Mme.  de  Gernance  came  close  to 
Elinor. 

"There  is  still  time,"  she  said  in  a 
whisper. 

Wavering  for  a  moment,  Mme.  de 
Roselis  at  last  replied: 

"No,  there  is  only  one  way  in  which  I 
can  make  that  difficult  confession." 

Then  Mme.  de  Gernance  drew  Leon 
away,  took  her  seat  in  the  carriage  with 
him,  and  the  horses  started  at  once,  bear- 
ing both  out  of  sight. 


XI 

ALONE  again,  Elinor  found  her 
solitude  unbearable;  the  happi- 
ness she  had  lately  tasted  could 
henceforth  alone  satisfy  her  heart.  Her 
one  thought  now  was  to  hasten  to  rejoin 
her  friend  and  the  man  whom  she  already 
regarded  as  her  husband. 

A  week  after  their  departure  found  her 
with  her  little  daughter  back  in  her  town 
house.  Mme.  de  Gernance  was  the  only 
person  who  had  been  informed  of  her 
arrival. 

After  a  long  talk,  in  which  she  explained 
to  her  friend  the  way — a  trifle  romantic 
withal — in  which  she  intended  to  make 
herself  known  to  Leon,  she  succeeded  in 
inducing   her    friend   to   help   her   carry 

121 


122  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

out  the  scheme  that  pleased  her  fancy,  and 
the  pair  separated,  having  arranged  all  the 
details  agreed  upon. 

The  season  of  the  Opera  Balls  had 
opened,  and  Mme.  de  Gernance  invited 
Leon  one  night  to  accompany  her  to  one. 
He  declined  at  first,  with  a  hot  haste  she 
had  not  anticipated;  the  scene  of  the  ad- 
venture that  was  to  have  such  an  influence 
upon  his  life  had  become  hateful  to  him, 
and  he  had  sworn  never  to  set  foot  there 
again.  But  Mme.  de  Gernance  insisted; 
she  asked  him  only  to  lend  her  his  arm 
until  she  could  find  a  stranger  who  had 
promised  to  come,  and  whom  she  wanted 
to  puzzle. 

Leon,  unable  to  refuse  anything  to 
Mme.  de  Roselis'  friend,  at  last  consented, 
though  with  inward  repugnance,  and  they 
set  off  together. 

His  entrance  into  the  ballroom  was  a 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  123 

painful  moment  for  him;  a  tumult  of 
memories  surged  up  in  his  mind. 

Mme.  de  Gernance  made  a  few  turns 
round  the  hall  with  him,  and  then,  pre- 
tending to  have  discovered  the  person  she 
was  seeking,  she  set  him  at  liberty  and 
said  good-bye.  Scarcely  had  she  left  his 
arm  when  a  voice,  in  spite  of  the  slight 
affectation  of  manner  inseparable  from  a 
masked  ball,  made  his  every  pulse  leap, 
uttered  close  beside  him  the  words: 

"Ah  ha,  I  have  caught  you,  faithless 
one  I  It  is  not  for  me  you  are  looking,  this 
time,  at  the  Opera  Ball  I" 

He  turned  and  saw  before  him —  Who 
was  it?  His  unknown  lady  herself.  The 
white  domino,  the  mask,  even  the  diamond 
buckle  that  fastened  her  belt  which  he 
had  noticed  on  that  other  occasion, — all 
were  there. 

"It  is  she  I"  he  exclaimed,  seizing  her 


124  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

aim  and  slipping  it  beneath  his  own. 
"Have  I  found  you  again  ^  Is  it  you  I  am 
looking  at,  is  it  you  I  hold?  By  what  in- 
conceivable miracle — " 

"Is  it  really  so  astonishing'?  You  know 
my  talent  for  miracles." 

"It  is  true.  It  is  the  only  thing  I  do 
know  about  you." 

"But  what  is  past  is  nothing;  there  is 
much  more  to  come.  Now  that  you  have 
fallen  again  in  my  power,  you  may  expect 
the  most  extraordinary  consequences.  Your 
fate  is  sealed,  your  destiny  is  about  to  be 
fulfilled." 

But  while  she  talked  a  growing  disap- 
pointment damped  the  sudden  joy  that 
Leon  had  experienced  at  the  first  sight  of 
her.  He  was  bitterly  wounded  by  the 
light,  imperious  tone  she  had  adopted 
after  those  three  years  of  total  forgetful- 
ness,  added  to  her  other  wrongs.     All  the 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  125 

hard  thoughts  he  had  harbored  of  her  in 
the  long  interval  crowded  back  now  upon 
his  mind. 

He  stopped  short. 

"Well,  madame,"  he  said  coldly,  "what 
is  it  you  want  of  me'?  What  fresh  scheme 
are  you  devising?  What  new  way  of 
taking  me  in'?" 

"Oh,  what  a  change  three  years  can 
work  in  a  man  I  Is  this  the  tender,  gentle, 
attentive  Leon,  who  in  this  very  room  so 
fervently  vowed  to  be  wholly  constant  and 
submissive?" 

"Ah,  if  I  am  changed,  whose  is  the 
fault,  cruel  one?  Is  it  not  your  own? 
For  you  devoted  to  my  undoing  all  the 
charm  that  has  most  power  over  the  heart 
of  man,  and  having  betrayed  my  faith, 
you  cast  me  off,  without  remorse  as  with- 
out pity.  Did  you  not  take  a  pleasure  in 
teaching  me  the  value  of  what  you  cheated 


126  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

me  out  of,  and  then  leave  me  for  three 
years  to  my  regrets,  to  forget  you  as  best 
I  could?' 

"Leon,  you  are  too  severe.  Here  I  am 
with  you  again.  I  have  come  back  to 
atone  for  the  wrong  I  did  you,  and  restore 
to  you  all  you  pined  for." 

"Ah,  how  can  I  put  any  faith  in  your 
words  now'?  Perhaps,  in  a  minute  or 
two,  you  will  once  more  disappear  from 
my  view,  leaving  no  trace  behind  you 
but  the  pain  you  cause  me.  You  are 
possibly  already  contriving  some  fresh 
ruse — " 

Here  she  interrupted  him,  saying  in  a 
softened  voice: 

"No,  no  more  ruses,  no  more  secrets.  Ah, 
Leon,  I  too  have  suffered.  But  let  us  for- 
get the  folly  and  pain  that  are  over 
now.  You  may  know  and  claim  your  wife 
now." 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  127 

"You  did  not  want  to  be  my  wife — " 

"True,  but  I  was  wrong;  now  I  have 
come  back  to  surrender  to  your  love." 

"Once  you  disdained  it — a  pure  and 
lasting  love  that  filled  my  heart  for  you. 
What  new  caprice  prompts  you  now  to 
claim  it?  Are  you  sure  it  still  exists  for 
you?  Was  I  to  foster  an  insane  passion 
for  an  invisible  woman  who  had  forsaken 
me?  What  makes  you  suppose  me  un- 
changed? Why  should  I  not  in  my  turn 
reject  a  chain  once  hateful  to  yourself? 
Why  should  not  I  too  now  cherish  my  in- 
dependence? To  me  its  cost  is  less  than 
it  is  to  you." 

These  terrible  words  smote  Elinor  to 
the  core.  All  the  gaiety  and  fond  hope 
that  she  had  brought  with  her  to  the  ball 
were  gone  now.  She  admitted  the  justice 
of  the  unexpected  reproaches  with  which 
he   had   met   her   advances,    and   in   her 


128  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

humiliation,  her  courage  and  her  strength 
both  deserted  her. 

Leon  saw  that  she  could  scarcely  stand, 
and  he  led  her  to  a  bench  away  from  the 
crowd,  seating  himself  beside  her.  For- 
tunately, the  pain  she  was  enduring  found 
relief  in  tears. 

"Ah,  forgive  me,"  said  Leon,  touched  at 
the  spectacle  of  her  genuine  grief,  "for- 
give me,  O  you  whom  I  cannot  understand. 
I  am  angry  now  with  myself  for 
my  misplaced  harshness  I  Only,  having 
received  so  many  marks  of  your  indif- 
ference, could  I  expect  to  find  you  vul- 
nerable *?" 

Then  he  pressed  her  to  drop  her  mask, 
and  allow  him  to  see  her  home.  At  first 
she  was  tempted  to  comply,  and  to  reveal 
the  face  that  would  instantly  have  dis- 
armed him;  but  she  dreaded  a  scene  that 
might  attract  all  eyes  to  them,  and  a  wish 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  129 

to  put  him  to  one  more  proof  restrained 
her.  Drawing  her  hood  down  over  her 
eyes,  and  disguising  her  voice  more  care- 
fully than  ever,  she  said  sadly: 

"No,  why  take  me  home?  The  hour  is 
late,  and  you  have  taught  me  circumspec- 
tion. Why  remove  my  mask?  Of  what 
use  to  know  a  woman  you  can  no  longer 
love?  I  can  see  why  you  are  so  cold.  I 
know  where  you  spent  your  convalescence, 
and  whose  hands  nursed  you." 

"Well,  then,  madame,"  said  Leon, 
seriously,  "you  know  also  that  my  grati- 
tude could  not  possibly  be  too  warm,  or 
my  admiration  too  high.  Yes,  I  do  not 
deny  it.  In  three  months  of  the  most  en- 
dearing intimacy,  tended  by  a  woman 
whose  beauty  was  the  least  of  her  charms, 
a  woman  sympathetic  and  reasonable,  who 
unites  the  dignity  proper  to  her  sex  with 
that  kindness  of  heart  that  is  an  orna- 


I30  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

ment  the  more — could  I  fail  to  appreciate 
so  many  lovable  qualities'?  Could  I  ever 
forget  her?" 

Elinor,  beside  herself  with  joy  at  his 
words,  felt  that  if  she  stayed  another  mo- 
ment she  would  betray  herself  in  spite  of 
her  efforts.    She  rose  at  once. 

"Be  happy  then,"  she  said.  "Your 
happiness  will  be  mine.  I  say  no  more 
about  myself.  I  ask  nothing;  you  are  free. 
But  would  you  care  to  see  your  daughter*?" 

"Would  I,  indeed!  You  cannot  doubt 
it!" 

"Then  come  and  lunch  with  me  to- 
morrow and  you  shall." 

She  gave  him  her  address,  but  without 
adding  her  name. 

"My  people  will  know,"  she  said. 
"They  will  show  you  in." 

She  left,  deeply  affected  by  what  had 
passed. 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  131 

"What  would  have  become  of  me,"  she 
said  to  herself  in  terror,  "what  should  I 
have  done,  if  I  had  never  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  winning  his  esteem  and  his  love 
in  another  aspect^" 


XII 

THAT  night  was  spent  by  Leon 
in  the  greatest  agitation. 

At  last,  then,  he  had  found  the 
object  of  such  keen  desire  and  such  lasting 
regret  I  Soon  he  was  to  know  her  I  He 
was  to  see  his  daughter — his  daughter, 
whose  image  he  had  so  vainly  tried  to 
conjure  up.  No  doubt  it  was  now  open 
to  him  to  take  up  the  position  of  husband 
and  father!  The  title  for  which  he  had 
longed  was  now,  probably,  within  his 
reach. 

And  yet  the  remembrance  of  Mme.  de 
Roselis  would  place  itself  in  the  midst  of 
the  picture,  and  the  comparison  was  not 
to  the  advantage  of  the  Unknown  Lady. 


132 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  133 

Indeed,  could  any  woman  match  Elinor 
in  his  eyes'? 

On  the  following  day,  punctual  to  the 
appointment,  he  arrived  at  the  hour  named, 
and  the  first  person  who  met  his  eyes  was 
the  negro  who  was  so  closely  associated 
with  his  recollections. 

The  black  conducted  him  through  sev- 
eral richly  furnished  apartments  to  a  door 
which  he  threw  open,  announcing  M.  de 
Preval. 

Leon  went  forward,  and  found  himself 
in  a  boudoir  that  instantly  recalled  to  his 
mind  one  that  three  long  years  had  not 
effaced  from  his  memory.  The  illusion 
was  completed  by  the  sight  of  a  woman  in 
the  same  attitude  as  before,  wearing  the 
same  dress  and  seated  on  a  sofa.  A  child 
was  sitting  on  her  lap. 

As  Leon  approached,  she  turned  around. 

"What  do  I  see*?"  he  cried.  "Elinor !    Is 


134  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

such  happiness  possible*?  Ah  I  if  this  be 
some  cruel  game,  stop,  I  beg  you,  or  I  die 
before  your  eyes." 

At  the  same  moment  the  little  Leonie 
ran  to  throw  herself  in  his  arms,  and  show- 
ing him  a  half  ring  that  was  hanging 
round  her  neck,  she  said  in  her  sweet, 
childish  way: 

"Friend  Leon,  will  you  mend  my  ring 
forme?" 

He  glanced  at  it,  made  an  exclamation, 
and  then,  overcome  with  surprise  and 
happiness,  he  was  forced  to  drop  into  a 
chair,  murmuring  feebly: 

"Elinor!     My  daughter!" 

But  Elinor  was  already  by  his  side.  He 
threw  one  arm  around  her,  and  with  the 
other  he  held  their  child  on  his  knee.  They 
gazed  into  each  other's  eyes,  their  tears 
falling,  mingling.  Neither  could  find  a 
word  to  express  what  both  were  feeling. 


LOVE  IN  A  MASK  135 

Then  Elinor,  leaning  her  head  softly 
against  her  lover's  shoulder,  said  tenderly : 

*'Yes,  this  is  your  daughter.  And  your 
Unknown  Lady,  your  mistress,  friend,  and 
nurse,  who  in  so  many  different  shapes 
has  been  caring  for  your  welfare,  wants 
nothing  henceforth  but  to  be  her  mother 
and  your  wife.  Forgive  me,  Leon,  for- 
give me  all  the  troubles  I  have  caused 
you;  forgive  the  wicked  folly  by  which  I, 
too,  have  suffered;  it  was  the  first  offense 
and  shall  be  the  last.  That  haughty, 
heedless  Unknown  Lady  learned  a  salu- 
tary lesson  last  night  at  the  ball,  and  your 
wife  will  never  forget  it." 

"Ah,  forgive  me,  too!"  said  Leon.  "My 
friend,  my  baby,  the  dear  objects  of  such 
anxiety  and  sorrow,  how  shall  I  make  up 
to  myself  the  three  years  that  you  have 
been  out  of  reach  of  my  love  I" 

Then  Mme.  de  Gernance  arrived,  and 


136  LOVE  IN  A  MASK 

with  friendly  cordiality  entered  into  the 
rapturous  joy  of  the  happy  couple.  But, 
ever  practical  and  sensible,  "Confess, 
Elinor,"  she  said  to  her  friend,  "you  would 
have  attained  this  happy  end  as  surely 
had  you  never  departed  from  the  path 
marked  out  for  us  by  duty  and  social 
laws,  and  you  would  even  have  spared 
yourselves  three  years  of  grief." 

"Don't  let  us  say  anything  more  about 
it,"  said  Mme.  de  Roselis,  kissing  her. 
"Don't  let  us  ever  say  another  word  about 
it.  I  am  wholly  converted  now.  It  is  only 
at  the  expense  of  her  happiness  that  a 
woman  can  attempt  to  escape  from  the 
trammels  that  have  been  imposed  on  her 
sex." 


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